Loading map...

1956 Map of Cleveland

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Cleveland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The industrial corridor of Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania is captured in this mid-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by massive manufacturing hubs and the transportation networks that sustained them. Central to the map is the Ravenna Arsenal, a sprawling military installation situated between the growth of Akron and Youngstown. The era’s shift toward modern highway travel is evident in the prominence of the Ohio Turnpike and Pennsylvania Turnpike, which intersect the older, dense rail networks of the New York Central RR and Pennsylvania RR.

Beyond the urban centers of Cleveland and Euclid along the Lake Erie shoreline, the map details a sophisticated water management system. Large-scale reservoirs like Mosquito Creek Lake, Berlin Reservoir, and the Pymatuning Reservoir illustrate the region's efforts to control the Cuyahoga River and Mahoning River for industrial and civic use. The Ohio-Pennsylvania State Line bisects the steel-producing heartland, connecting the Ohio cities with the active river valleys of Sharon and New Castle.