1949 Map of Patterson Creek

About this map

The North Branch Potomac River serves as the primary artery through this 1949 landscape, carving a route through the parallel ridges of the Appalachian range on the border of Maryland and West Virginia. This era shows the dominance of mid-century rail and water infrastructure, where the Baltimore and Ohio RR and Western Maryland RR shadow the winding riverbanks. A significant historical marker is the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Abandoned), which remains visible as a defunct but prominent feature of the corridor. Small settlements like North Branch, Spring Gap, and Green Spring anchor the rural valley, supported by local institutions such as St Marys Cem and Bethel Tabernacle. The terrain is characterized by steep ridges including Collier Mountain and Warrior Mountain, punctuated by numerous family-named hollows like Brite Hollow and Frog Hollow that suggest long-standing local genealogies.