1947 Map of Lykens

About this map

Coal-bearing ridges define the landscape of northern Dauphin County, where the steep slopes of Coal or Thick Mountain and Big Lick Mountain hem in the industrial valley. In the late 1940s, the borough of Lykens and the neighboring settlements of Wiconisco and Williamstown formed a dense corridor of rail and industry along the Reading railroad lines. The presence of the Am Briquet Plant near the valley floor underscores the area's historical reliance on coal processing. North of the ridges, the terrain transitions to a broader agricultural plateau featuring the village of Gratz, the Gratz Airfield, and the County Fair Grounds. This rural section is anchored by local landmarks like Simeons Church and the Salada School, while the southern half of the map is dominated by the wilder, stream-cut drainages of the Haldeman State Forest and the forks of Rattling Creek.