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1956 Map of Cumberland

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Cumberland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Cumberland serves as the focal point for this expansive regional study, where the North Branch Potomac River carves through a succession of ridges including Wills Mountain and Evitts Mountain. The map illustrates a mid-century landscape defined by its transportation corridors, most notably the path of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the competing routes of the Baltimore & Ohio RR and the Western Maryland RR. These rail and water networks underscore the industrial heritage of towns like Westernport, Piedmont, and Keyser.

Upland recreation and timber management are represented by vast tracts such as the Monongahela National Forest and Blackwater Falls State Park. Further west, the engineering of the Youghiogheny River Reservoir and Deep Creek Lake reflects the 20th-century transformation of the Allegheny Mountains into a hub for water management and tourism, while high-altitude landmarks like Spruce Knob anchor the topographic character of the region.