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1981 Map of Cumberland

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Cumberland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Cumberland serves as the focal point of this Appalachian landscape, where the North Branch Potomac River and Wills Creek converge at the historic gap in Wills Mountain. By the early 1980s, the region's complex industrial and transportation legacy is clearly visible through the intertwined routes of the B & O RR, the Western Maryland RR, and the C & O Canal. The map captures the dense cluster of mining and industrial towns such as Frostburg, Eckhart Mines, and Mount Savage, which are linked by Maryland 36 and U.S. 40.

The terrain is defined by the sharp, parallel ridges of the Valley and Ridge province, including Evitts Mountain, Polish Mountain, and Sideling Hill. These natural barriers dictated the path of westward expansion, forcing early roads and rails through narrow water gaps. To the east, Hancock marks a point where the state of Maryland narrows significantly between the Potomac River and the Pennsylvania border, illustrating the tight geography of the tri-state area.