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1955 Map of Fredericksburg

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Fredericksburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Fredericksburg and Jonestown serve as the primary hubs in this mid-1950s landscape, situated where the valley floor meets the southern slopes of Blue Mountain and Little Mountain. The region is defined by the winding course of Swatara Creek and its tributary, Little Swatara Creek, which supported early rural industries like those at Freeport Mills. The map reveals a dense network of local education and faith, evidenced by numerous rural institutions such as Sherks Sch, Groff Sch, Wengert Sch, and Umberger Sch, alongside Union Salem Ch and Bethel Ch.

Transportation through the Lebanon Valley is anchored by the William Penn Highway, while an old Aqueduct and the Pine Grove Trail offer clues to earlier movement patterns across the ridge. From the northern camps like Camp Strause and Camp Carson near Lake Weiss to the southern heights of Mt Ararat and the Bunker Hills, the map documents a transition from the wooded mountain gaps to the organized farmsteads of the valley.