1899 Map of Harrisburg

About this map

Harrisburg sits at the heart of this late-nineteenth-century landscape, positioned along the east bank of the Susquehanna River. The map captures a moment when the regional economy was transitioning from water-based transport to heavy rail. While the Pennsylvania Canal is already noted as inactive, the industrial expansion is evident through the dense network of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Landmarks such as the State Lunatic Asylum and the small milling community at Heckton Mills provide social and industrial context for the era.