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1946 Map of Avoca

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Avoca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Lackawanna River corridor defines the industrial and residential heart of this region, where the urban footprints of Old Forge, Duryea, and Avoca cluster along a complex web of Conrail and Delaware and Hudson rail lines. This post-war landscape reflects a transition from intensive mining toward modern infrastructure, anchored by the sprawling Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport. The presence of several ethnic burial grounds, including the Polish National Cem and Slavic Cem, speaks to the diverse immigrant history that fueled the valley's development.

Rising sharply from the valley floor, the Roaring Brook Mountains dominate the eastern half of the map, providing a sharp contrast to the dense river-town settlements. This higher ground is largely dedicated to conservation and water management, containing State Game Lands No. 91 and the large Nesbitt Reservoir. Traces of earlier mountain life appear in more isolated settlements like Suscon and the summit of Big Shiney Mtn, where a Lookout Tower once surveyed the vast forest canopy.