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1955 Map of Minersville

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Minersville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Coal mining and mountain ridges dominate the landscape around Minersville in this mid-1950s depiction of Schuylkill County. The complex topography of Mine Hill, Broad Mountain, and Sharp Mountain dictates the settlement patterns, forcing towns into the valleys where the Reading railroad lines connect various colliery operations. Local history is etched into the terrain through features like the Firetower Mt Pleasant and industrial water supplies such as Crystal Res and Minersville Reservoir.

The map reveals the dense network of small company towns and settlements, including Heckscherville, Buck Run, and Glen Carbon, which supported the region's anthracite economy. Rural life away from the mines is evidenced by Friedens Ch and the scattered hamlets of Newtown and Zerbe. The drainage of the West Branch Schuylkill River and its tributaries like Muddy Branch illustrates the environmental footprint of the era's industry.