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1901 Map of Belair

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Belair
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

The Pennsylvania Maryland Boundary Line bisects this landscape, showing a region where commerce and geology ignored state borders at the turn of the century. The Maryland and Pennsylvania RR winds through the hills, connecting northern Harford County settlements like Pylesville and Whiteford to the twin border towns of Cardiff and Delta. This rail corridor was essential for the local extractive economy, evidenced by the Mc Intyre Minefield and industrial nodes like Furnace.

Creeks such as Deer Creek and Broad Creek carve through the terrain, dictating the placement of older communities like Fawn Grove and Jarrettsville. The map details a transition from industrial activity near the state line to the agricultural and mill-focused hamlets of Clermont Mills, Mill Green, and Coopstown. The intricate network of branch waters, including Stirrup Run and Island Branch, highlights the importance of water power and drainage for the small-scale farming and mining operations that once defined this borderland.