1900 Map of Paw Paw

About this map

The Potomac River carves deep, dramatic meanders through this portion of the Appalachian Mountains at the turn of the century, serving as the primary corridor for both the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Western Maryland Railroad. Along these winding banks, small communities like Paw Paw and Little Orleans flourished where the rails met the river valleys. The topography is dominated by parallel ridges such as Sideling Hill and Purslane Mountain, which constrained early transport routes and defined the character of the Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania borders.