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1905 Map of Houtzdale

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

USGS Topo · Published 1905

About this map

Houtzdale and Osceola anchor a landscape defined by the turn-of-the-century coal and rail economy in the heart of Clearfield County. This 1905 survey reveals a complex network of industrial arteries, including the Pennsylvania R. R. and the N. Y. C. and H. R. R. R., which threaded through the narrow valleys of Moshannon Creek and Clearfield Creek. The map documents numerous post offices and company-aligned settlements such as Williams Grove P.O. and Kephart P.O., illustrating how early mining operations dictated the region's geography.

The intricate contour work reveals the dissected plateau of the Alleghenies, where communities like Brisbin and Parsonsville are situated near vital junctions like Coal Run Junc.. Researchers can trace the early path of the B. R. and P. R. R. alongside Little Clearfield Creek, providing a detailed view of the infrastructure that supported Pennsylvania's industrial peak before the modernization of the mid-20th century.