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1946 Map of Olyphant

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Olyphant
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Lackawanna River corridor defines the industrial and residential heart of this mid-century Pennsylvania valley, where a dense network of railroads served the coal-rich settlements of Olyphant, Dickson City, and Blakely. This post-war landscape is heavily shaped by the transit infrastructure of the Delaware Lackawanna and Western RR and the New York Ontario and Western RR, which stitch together the urban patches from Throop up to Archbald.

Beyond the valley floor, the terrain rises into the Moosic Mountains, where the character shifts from manufacturing to resource management. This area is dotted with critical water infrastructure like Olyphant Reservoir No 1 and Marshwood Reservoir. For genealogists, the map is remarkably detailed, identifying specific institutional landmarks such as the St Nicholas Orphanage and St Marys Villa, alongside numerous local schools including Franklin Sch and Washington Sch. The eastern heights at Scrub Oak Fire Tower overlook a landscape transitioning from the tight-knit anthracite communities to the broader reaches of Madison and the Moosic Lakes.