1949 Map of Cumberland

About this map

Cumberland serves as the focal point of this 1949 survey, where the Wills Creek gorge cuts through the dramatic gap known as The Narrows. This geographical bottleneck concentrated the era's primary transportation routes, including the National Pike and multiple rail lines like the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland. The map illustrates a landscape shaped by industrial transit and coal, with a Strip Mine on Southampton and rail junctions like Mt Savage Junc and Eckhart Junc facilitating movement between the mountains. Beyond the urban center, smaller communities like Mount Savage, Ellerslie, and Ridgeley are documented at a time when the North Branch Potomac River defined the state boundary with West Virginia. For genealogists, the map captures specific landmarks including St Patricks Cem and Sixmile House, alongside neighborhood schools such as Allegany High Sch and the Southside Sch.