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1904 Map of Pittsburgh

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Pittsburgh
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Monongahela River, Allegheny River, and Youghiogheny River converge within this industrial landscape at the dawn of the twentieth century, illustrating a region defined by its water-and-rail topography. The Pennsylvania RR and numerous specialized lines like the Union RR lace through the river valleys, connecting steel centers such as Braddock, Homestead, and Swissvale. Beyond the dense urban core of Pittsburgh, the map reveals the era's transition from city to rural township, featuring large green spaces like Highland Park and the expansive Homewood Cem.

Outlying settlements and junctions such as Unity Station, North Bessemer, and Sandy Creek mark the expansion of the coal and rail network into the surrounding hills. Researchers can trace the early industrial footprint of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Division, along with river infrastructure like Lock No 3, before later twentieth-century urban renewal and suburban development reshaped these riverfront communities.