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1950 Map of Gorman

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Gorman
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The North Branch Potomac River serves as the winding boundary between Maryland and West Virginia in this mid-century survey, anchoring the settlements of Gorman and Gormania. The Western Maryland railroad snakes along the riverbanks, connecting industrial points like Bayard and Wallman to the broader coal and timber regions. High above the river valley, the terrain is defined by The Little Backbone Mountain and the Potomac State Forest, where early industrial footprints like a Strip Mine appear near Bethlehem School.

For genealogists and local historians, the map is dense with family-named landmarks and small burial grounds, including the Chisholm-Nydegger Cemetery, Harvey-Wilson Cem, and Lish Cem. Transportation routes such as the George Washington Highway and the Pipe Line illustrate the evolution of the local economy. The presence of Fort Pendleton near the Maryland-West Virginia line provides a specific geographic marker for the historical defense of this river corridor.