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1961 Map of Commodore

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Commodore
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Commodore and the surrounding townships of Grant, Montgomery, and Green reveal an industrial landscape shaped by extraction and rail transport during the early 1960s. Numerous Strip Mine operations and Mine Dump sites are interspersed with small mining settlements like Starford, Heilwood, and Mentcle. The Cherry Tree and Dixonville Branch railroad serves as the primary artery for these operations, winding through the valleys of Two Lick Creek and Yellow Creek.

Away from the industrial centers, the map documents a network of rural institutions essential for local genealogy research. Small country churches and burial grounds, such as Laurel Swamp Union Ch and Bethesda Cem, sit alongside landmarks like the Clymer Fire Tower and the Purchase Line High Sch. The presence of the Learn Settlement and various family-named features like Stephens Cem provides a detailed look at the social fabric of Indiana County before later 20th-century developments altered the character of these mountain communities.