1951 Map of Oldtown

About this map

The Potomac River winds through the borderlands between Maryland and West Virginia, carving a deep valley through the ridges of Warrior Mtn and South Branch Mountain. The small settlement of Oldtown serves as a focal point for the region's transport history, situated where the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Abandoned) follows the river's northern bank. Across the water, the Baltimore and Ohio RR tracks dominate the West Virginia shoreline, connecting river-adjacent communities like Green Spring, Okonoko, and South Branch (French Sta). Local life is anchored by landmarks such as Mount Olive Church and Okonoko Church, while the surrounding terrain is defined by names like Sugar Hollow and Oliver Belt. The map illustrates a transitional period where heavy rail infrastructure remained vital even as the canal era had officially passed into the landscape's memory.