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1908 Map of New Holland

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of New Holland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1908
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1908

About this map

Ephrata and New Holland serve as primary hubs within this 1908 topographical survey of Lancaster County, revealing a landscape defined by an dense network of turnpikes and village schools. The convergence of the Harrisburg and Reading Turnpike and several rail lines, including the Reading and Columbia RR, illustrates the region's importance as a transportation corridor during the early twentieth century. Dozens of one-room schoolhouses, such as Stony Hill School and Clay School, dot the townships of West Cocalico and Earl, reflecting the localized social structure of these Pennsylvania Dutch communities.

Waterways like Cocalico Creek and the Conestoga Creek wind through the valleys, supporting a rural economy evidenced by the numerous named mills and crossroad settlements. Researchers can trace the exact routes of historic thoroughfares like the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike and the New Holland Turnpike, which linked agricultural centers to larger markets. From the heights of Laurel Hill to the village of Intercourse, the map provides a precise record of the schools, churches, and post offices that anchored life in the Lebanon and Lancaster borderlands.