Loading map...

1905 Map of Houtzdale

Name: 1905 Topographic Map of Houtzdale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

Houtzdale and its neighboring coal communities anchor this 1905 landscape, which captures a dense industrial network at the foot of the Allegheny Mts. The terrain is deeply carved by the West Branch Susquehanna River and Clearfield Creek, creating a rugged backdrop for an extensive railroad system that includes the Pennsylvania R. R. and the Beech Creek R. R.. These lines served numerous small mining settlements and industrial outposts like Madera, Brisbin, and Osceola.

Local history is reflected in the numerous named points and post offices, such as Oshanter P.O. Mitchells and Belsena Mills. The map documents the early 20th-century reliance on both water and rail for extraction and transport, particularly evident along the Moshannon Creek and Little Clearfield Creek drainages. From the Susquehanna Bridge in the northwest to the intricate junctions at Coal Run Junc., the survey provides a detailed inventory of Clearfield County's development during the height of the coal era.