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1899 Map of Lebanon

Name: 1899 Topographic Map of Lebanon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Lebanon stands as the central hub of this late-19th-century landscape, a bustling rail nexus where the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad meets the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad. To the south, the industrial and mineral importance of Cornwall is evident, anchored by the Cornwall Railroad and the heights of Cornwall Mountain. The map illustrates a densely settled agricultural and industrial region, with established townships like Heidelberg, Jackson, and Bethel crisscrossed by numerous streams and runs.

Waterways such as Swatara Creek and the Tulpehocken Creek wind through the valleys, providing the natural infrastructure that supported earlier mills and settlements. From the northern barrier of Blue Mountain and the Monroe Valley to the southern reaches near Mt. Gretna, the survey reveals a mature network of country roads connecting smaller villages like Fredericksburg, Schaefferstown, and Myerstown. The intricate rail spurs, including the Lebanon Valley Branch, highlight the area's role as a vital corridor for Pennsylvania's iron and coal industries.