1947 Map of Lykens

About this map

Lykens and Wiconisco anchor this mid-century survey of the northern Dauphin County coal region, where industrial infrastructure meets the steep ridges of the Appalachians. The valley floor is dominated by the extractive economy of the era, marked by the Anthracite Plant and the intricate rail networks of the Reading and Pennsylvania lines that serviced the local collieries. The landscape is defined by massive parallel ridges, including Coal or Thick Mountain and Berry Mountain, which hem in the settlements and the winding course of Wiconisco Creek. To the north, the terrain softens around Gratz, where the County Fair Grounds, Simeons Church, and the small Gratz Airfield indicate a more agricultural character. The southern portion of the map transition into the protected timberlands of the Haldeman State Forest, covering the high ground of Broad Mountain and Peters Mountain.