1894 Map of Catawissa

About this map

The anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is defined here by high-density mining settlements and complex rail networks threading through deep valleys. Mount Carmel, Centralia, and Ashland anchor the southern mining district, where the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Philadelphia & Reading Railroad serve numerous collieries like Enterprise. The northern portion of the map transitions into the more agricultural and riverine landscape near the Susquehanna River, featuring the town of Catawissa and the Bloomsburg Ferry. Between these two distinct worlds lie the long, parallel ridges of Catawissa Mountain and Locust Mountain, which forced early industrial transport into narrow gaps like Bear Gap. This era reveals a landscape at its industrial peak, showing small patches and junctions such as Locust Gap and Mifflin X Roads before mid-20th-century economic shifts.