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1964 Map of New Salem

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of New Salem
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Industrial Fayette County is defined here by the intricate relationship between coal extraction and worker settlements. During the mid-1960s, the landscape was a dense network of mining towns like New Salem, Republic, and Keisterville, connected by the Monongahela Railroad and Penn Central lines. The heavy industry of the era is evident in the numerous strip mines and mine dumps that dot the hills, alongside evidence of earlier eras such as the abandoned coke ovens near Allison.

Beyond the industrial core, the map reveals essential community landmarks, from the Old Toll House on the National Road to the Lafayette Memorial Park and smaller burial grounds like Tomasza Cem. Large institutions like the County Home and the Drive-in Theater near Smock reflect the social fabric of the region. The topography is shaped by the prominent Chestnut Ridge and drained by waterways like Redstone Creek and Dunlap Creek, which provided the necessary water for the surrounding coal works and settlements.