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1944 Map of Pottsville

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Pottsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

Pottsville and the surrounding coal-country settlements define this landscape during the mid-1940s, situated at the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite region. The map reveals an intricate network of industrial infrastructure, with the Reading, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh West railroads threading through the valleys to serve the numerous collieries and patches. The dense concentration of named communities like St Clair, Port Carbon, and New Philadelphia reflects a period when mining and rail transport were the primary economic drivers, shaping the residential layout around the Schuylkill River.

Further out from the urban core, the map tracks vital water resources including the Silver Creek Res, Indian Run Reservoir, and Schuylkill Haven Reservoir. These reservoirs, along with features like Tumbling Run and Broad Mountain, contrast the industrial valley floors with the surrounding high ground. Smaller settlements such as Arnotts Addition, Coal Castle, and Duncott provide granular detail for genealogists researching family ties to specific mining patch towns during the wartime era.