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1949 Map of Patterson Creek

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Patterson Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Patterson Creek and the winding North Branch Potomac River define this 1949 landscape along the Maryland and West Virginia border. The map documents a critical transportation corridor where the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland railroads parallel the waterway, navigating the narrow passages between Collier Mountain and Warrior Mountain. Remnants of nineteenth-century infrastructure are visible in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Abandoned), which traces the riverbank through Spring Gap and Wagoner.

Rural community life is anchored by numerous small landmarks, including Davis Church, Olivers Grove Ch, and Forest Glen Ch. The rugged topography of the Allegany Front is etched with deep hollows like Wildcat Hollow and Brice Hollow, which dictated the placement of early mountain roads and homesteads. Settlement patterns are concentrated at junction points like Green Spring and Springfield, reflecting the area's transition from a canal-driven economy to a rail-centered one.