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1941 Map of Benezette

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Benezette
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Elk State Forest dominates this landscape, where the winding waters of Sinnemahoning Creek and Bennett Branch dictate the placement of early 20th-century settlements. Surveyed in 1941, the map captures a rural Pennsylvania economy tied to the rail lines that snake through narrow valleys, including the Pennsylvania RR and the Baltimore and Ohio RR. Small communities like Benezette, Medix Run, and Weedville serve as focal points for local life, supported by numerous country schools such as Rathbun Sch and Whittimore Sch.

Genealogists can find specific family-named landmarks such as Winslow Hill and Gray Hill, while the presence of Gray Cem and churches like Mt Pleasant Ch and Grant Ch provide important historical touchstones. The terrain is deeply incised by numerous "drafts" and "runs," such as English Draft and Porcupine Draft, highlighting the isolated nature of these homesteads before modern highway expansion.