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1966 Map of Du Bois

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Du Bois
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Industrial extraction and transit define the landscape of the Jefferson and Clearfield county border during the mid-1960s. Extensive Strip Mines are carved into the hills surrounding Rathmel and Soldier, indicating the dominant role of surface mining in the local economy. The urban center of Du Bois sits at the northern edge of the sheet, served by the Baltimore and Ohio RR and the Penn Central rail lines. This rail infrastructure converges at C & M Junction, facilitating the movement of coal and timber through the Sandy Lick Creek valley.

Smaller coal-patch communities like Sykesville and Troutville are marked by their local institutions, including the Shaffer Memorial Cem and Holy Trinity Cem. The distribution of these family-named landmarks and country churches, such as Paradise Ch, provides a clear view of the rural settlement patterns that persisted alongside heavy industry. The map captures the region just as modernization was arriving, evidenced by the development of the Drive-in Theater near West Liberty.