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1953 Map of Blue Ridge Summit

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Blue Ridge Summit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Catoctin Mountain and the borderlands of the Mason and Dixon Line define this mid-century view of the Maryland and Pennsylvania boundary. The area's character is shaped by institutional and military footprints, notably the Victor Cullen State Hospital and Fort Ritchie Mil Res. Local life centers around small communities like Blue Ridge Summit and Sabillasville, which were served by the Western Maryland RR as it navigated through the Jacks Mountain Tunnel.

Outdoor recreation and conservation land dominates the southern half of the map, where Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park preserve the landscape around Cunningham Falls. The Appalachian Trail winds across the ridgeline, passing landmarks such as Raven Rock Mtn and Wolf Rock. The map records a transition from the village-centered economy of the early 20th century, seen in labels like Lantz (Deerfield Sta), toward a modern era of public recreation and defense facilities.