1901 Map of Belair

About this map

The Maryland and Pennsylvania railroad winds through the rolling hills of Harford County and York County, connecting a string of small agricultural and industrial communities at the turn of the century. This landscape is defined by the sharp descent from the Fawn and Peach Bottom uplands toward the Little Gunpowder Falls and Deer Creek, where the local economy centered on milling and mining. Evidence of the region’s mineral wealth is visible at the McIntyre Minefield near Cherry Hill, while the concentration of settlements like Cardiff and Whiteford near the Boundary Line highlights the significance of the cross-border slate industry. The town of Bel Air serves as a southern anchor, surrounded by established crossroads and family-named landmarks like Harkins, Street, and Gibson. The intricate network of small streams, including Bynum Run and Winters Run, reflects a topography that dictated the placement of early turnpikes and the rail line itself.