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1984 Map of Harrisburg

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Harrisburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The Susquehanna River carves a deep valley through the ridge-and-valley province, defining the western edge of this 1980s landscape. Along its banks, the industrial and political centers of Harrisburg and Steelton are clearly mapped, showing the dense urban corridors that developed alongside Conrail and Amtrak rail lines. To the north, the dramatic folds of Blue Mountain and Second Mountain form a natural barrier, punctuated by the massive Fort Indian Town Gap Military Reservation and vast tracts of State Game Lands No 211.

Transitioning south into the fertile Lancaster Valley, the map reveals a shift toward agriculture and decentralized manufacturing in towns like Elizabethtown, Lititz, and Ephrata. The presence of Blue Marsh Lake and Gifford Pinchot State Park reflects the mid-century development of regional water management and recreation. This survey captures a specific moment when the region's historic iron-mining legacy at Cornwall and food-processing roots in Hershey existed alongside a maturing interstate network including Interstate 81 and the PA Turnpike.