Loading map...

1944 Map of Pottsville

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Pottsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Pottsville and the surrounding anthracite coal country are shown here in detail, revealing a landscape defined by industrial extraction and rail transport. The confluence of the Schuylkill River and its branches serves as the corridor for extensive networks of the Reading and Penn Central railroads, which weave through valleys to service numerous strip mines. The settlement pattern follows these narrow valley floors, from the dense urban center of Pottsville to smaller satellite communities like St Clair, Palo Alto, and Mount Carbon.

Water management for the growing industrial and municipal needs is evidenced by the Indian Run Reservoir, Schuylkill Haven Reservoir, and Silver Creek Res. In the southern reaches of the map, the terrain shifts toward the borough of Schuylkill Haven and the rail hub at Cressona, where the river valley widens. This 1944 survey, updated with 1968 photogrammetric data, documents the infrastructure of the coal region during a period of significant industrial transition.