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1903 Map of Houtzdale

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Houtzdale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Houtzdale and the surrounding coal-country plateaus are documented here during a period of intense industrial activity at the turn of the century. The map reveals an intricate network of competing rail lines, including the Pa. R. R. and the Clearfield and Southern R. R., which serve numerous small company towns and junctions like Goss Run Junc. and Banan Junc.. These tracks follow the winding paths of Clearfield Creek and the West Branch Susquehanna River, which dominate the western portion of the quadrangle.

Industrial development is visible in the clustering of settlements like Osceola and Madera, where the landscape is defined by the extraction economy. Local history researchers can trace old post office locations such as Oshanter P.O. Mitchells and West Decatur P.O. Blue Ball, while genealogists will find value in the specific placement of community hubs like Belsena Mills and Gearhartville before mid-century modernizations altered the local topography.