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1891 Map of Pottsville

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Pottsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

The anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is defined by intense topography and a complex rail network in the late nineteenth century. Pottsville serves as the central hub, situated where the Schuylkill River cuts through Sharp Mountain. This survey reveals the infrastructure required for the mining industry, including the competing routes of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad. These lines thread through gaps between Second Mountain and Blue Mountain, connecting bustling coal towns like St Clair, Port Carbon, and New Philadelphia.

South of the ridge-and-valley mining districts, the landscape opens into agricultural and transport centers such as Schuylkill Haven and Auburn. The map captures the significant elevation changes of Broad Mountain and the winding course of the Little Schuylkill River, providing a clear view of how geography dictated the placement of early settlements and the expansion of the regional energy economy.