1904 Map of Beaver

About this map

The Ohio River and Beaver River form the industrial and geographic backbone of this region, where the convergence of several major rail lines once defined the local economy. At the turn of the century, the Cleveland and Pittsburg and Pittsburg and Lake Erie railroads serviced a dense corridor of river towns including Beaver, Rochester, and Monaca. The landscape is marked by the early infrastructure of river navigation, notably Dam No. 5 and Dam No. 6, which were essential for managing the heavy barge traffic of the era. South of the river, the terrain transitions into a series of steep ridges and hollows drained by Raccoon Creek, where smaller settlements like Shippingport and Holt stood in contrast to the booming industrial centers to the north. This survey provides a record of the riverfront before modern navigational improvements significantly altered the shoreline and the footprint of early river landings like Bakers Landing.