1904 Map of Elders Ridge

About this map

Cochran Mills and Brick Church anchor a landscape of deeply incised stream valleys at the dawn of the twentieth century. This survey documents a critical period of industrial transition where traditional water-powered sites like Cochran Mills along Crooked Creek coexist with the expanding mineral and rail economy. The southern reaches of the map are defined by the winding Kiskiminetas River, serving as a natural boundary for Westmoreland Co, while the Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburg RR cuts through the eastern hills near Parkwood. Notable for genealogists, the map identifies small post offices and hamlets like Long Run P.O. and Maysville, many of which served the scattered farms and early mining operations of the Armstrong Co and Indiana Co borderlands. The intricate drainage network, from Blacklegs Creek to Plum Creek, reveals the topographic challenges faced by early road builders along the Pittsburg and Rochester Road.