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1957 Map of Harrisburg

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Harrisburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Susquehanna River serves as the central artery for this mid-century survey of Pennsylvania's Ridge-and-Valley province. Following the end of World War II, the region shows a dense concentration of infrastructure, where major transportation corridors like the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsylvania Turnpike parallel the ancient watercourses of the Juniata River and Swatara Creek. The map documents a heavily militarized landscape between the Susquehanna and the Maryland border, featuring the Carlisle Barracks, Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, and the Letterkenny Army Ordnance Depot.

North of the State Capitol, the topography is defined by the sharp, rhythmic ridges of Blue Mountain, Second Mountain, and Third Mountain. These barriers channeled development into the limestone valleys, supporting industrial hubs from the coal-rich region near Pottsville and Shamokin to the agricultural centers of Lancaster and Lebanon. The intersection of rail lines like the Reading Railroad with the river system highlights the 1950s economy of transport and extraction.