1949 Map of Cresaptown

About this map

The North Branch Potomac River serves as the focal point for this borderland study, where industrial development and family history intersect between Maryland and West Virginia. Early post-war industry is visible at Ameelle and the Cumberland Municipal Airport, while the legacy of 19th-century transport is preserved in the path of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The map is particularly rich for genealogical research, documenting numerous family burial grounds including Brant Cem and Lease Cem tucked into the ridges of Haystack Mountain. Settlement patterns follow the river and rail corridors of the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland lines, connecting local hubs like Cresaptown and the village of Fort Ashby. The landscape is defined by the steep relief of Dans Mtn and Knobly Mountain, creating a corridor that channeled both commerce and community life along the McMullen Highway.