1892 Map of Hummelstown

About this map

The Dauphin County and Lebanon County line bisects a landscape defined by the parallel ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the late nineteenth century. In the northern reaches, the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Branch follows the narrow valley between Sharp Mountain and Second Mountain, passing through remote points like Cold Spring and Rausch Gap. This rugged corridor contrasts sharply with the developing agricultural and industrial lowlands to the south, where the Lebanon Valley Branch connects established centers such as Hummelstown, Palmyra, and Annville. The map illustrates a transitional period where natural gaps like Indiantown Gap and Swatara Gap served as essential conduits for transport and water, including the winding course of Swatara Creek. Smaller settlements like Union Waterworks and Harpers Tavern dot the countryside, reflecting the rural infrastructure of the 1890s.