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1891 Map of Pottsville

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Pottsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Pottsville and the surrounding coal region are defined by a complex network of industrial infrastructure during this late 19th-century survey. The Schuylkill River cuts through the ridges of Sharp Mountain and Second Mountain, serving as the primary corridor for competing transportation lines. Major rail systems including the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad trace the river valley, connecting a dense series of mining and transport hubs like Port Carbon, Palo Alto, and Schuylkill Haven.

The landscape is characterized by its anthracite history, where narrow valleys dictate the placement of settlements like St Clair and Cumbola. Further south, the map reveals the transition into agricultural lands near Orwigsburg and Shartlesville, bounded by the prominent ridge of Blue Mountain. This era shows the peak of the river-and-rail economy before the consolidation of these industrial corridors.