1906 Map of Greensburg

About this map

The Pennsylvania RR and its numerous spurs, such as the Turtle Creek Branch and Hempfield Branch, anchor the industrial landscape of Westmoreland County at the turn of the century. The map illustrates a region transitioning into a coal and rail hub, where established stage routes like the Philadelphia Pike meet the growing electric infrastructure of the West Penn Electric line. Small crossroads settlements like Newlonsburg, Claridge, and Harrison City dot the hills between deep-cut waterways such as Turtle Creek and Brush Creek. Genealogy researchers will find valuable landmarks of early community life, including the Bulltown Schoolhouse, Plum Creek Church, and the Penn Sta (P O) mail hub. The dense contouring reveals the steep ravines of the Allegheny Plateau that dictated the winding paths of the Youghiogheny Branch and influenced the growth of centers like Westmoreland City and Irwin.