Loading map...

1937 Map of Mifflintown

Name: 1937 Topographic Map of Mifflintown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Mifflintown sits as a vital river crossing along the Juniata River, where the Pennsylvania RR and the Wm Penn Highway trace the water's edge through the water gaps of Central Pennsylvania. This mid-1930s landscape is defined by the sharp, parallel ridges of Jacks Mountain, Mahantango Mountain, and Shade Mountain, which separate fertile agricultural pockets like Lost Creek Valley and Pleasant Valley. These valleys are dotted with a dense network of country schoolhouses such as Whitehall Sch and Reno Sch, alongside long-established settlements including McAlisterville and McClure.

The map reveals the region's industrial and social infrastructure, from Raubs Mills on Beaver Creek to the Fire Tower atop Mahantango Mountain. The terrain dictated the movement of early residents, funneling travel through specific points like Belltown Gap and Kearns Gap. Genealogists will find a wealth of specific landmarks, including Brick Ch and numerous family-named schools like Bowersox Sch and Sigler Sch, which anchored these ridge-and-valley communities before the era of school consolidation.