Loading map...

1973 Map of Rachelwood

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Rachelwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Laurel Hill dominates the landscape of this 1973 survey, a prominent ridge where the borders of Westmoreland, Cambria, and Somerset Counties converge. The rugged topography is etched by numerous watercourses, including Tubmill Creek and Shannon Run, which descend toward the Conemaugh River in the northwest. In the valleys, evidence of early industrial and communal life remains, from the historical Baldwin Furnace on Baldwin Run to the Church in the Wilderness near Ross Mountain Park.

The map reveals a transition in land use, showing the large expanse of State Game Lands No 42 alongside industrial activity such as a Strip Mine and scattered Gas Well sites. Transport and education are anchored by the Penn Central rail line and Laurel Valley High Sch in the West Fairfield vicinity. The settlement of Rachelwood and several reservoirs, including Tubmill Reservoir and North Fork Reservoir, suggest a managed landscape where water resources were vital for the surrounding communities.