1977 Map of Friendsville

About this map

Friendsville sits along the winding path of the Youghiogheny River in this orthophotoquad, which captures the distinct borderlands of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in the late 1970s. The aerial imagery highlights the sharp contrast between the deeply forested river valleys and the cleared agricultural plots surrounding settlements like Markleysburg and Sand Spring. A central feature of the landscape is the Youghiogheny River Lake, its dark waters filling the jagged valley floor as the river flows northward. The orthophoto format provides a literal view of land use during this era, revealing the intricate network of farm roads, wooded ridges, and the small-town footprints of these Appalachian communities before later development altered the rural character of Garrett County and the surrounding tri-state area.