1969 Map of Rural Valley

About this map

Industrial coal and gas extraction define the late 1960s landscape of the Cowanshannock and Valley townships. A dense network of infrastructure supports the region's economy, from the Conveyor Tipple and Mine Dump near NuMine to the numerous gas wells peppering the hillsides of Wayne and Boggs. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor serves as the central artery for these resources, tracing the course of Cowanshannock Creek through the borough of Rural Valley and into the neighboring settlement of Yatesboro. To the south, the recently filled Keystone Lake dominates the basin of the North Branch Plum Creek, signifying a shift in land use near the village of Atwood. This survey captures a moment when traditional community landmarks like Salem Ch and Pleasant Union Ch stood alongside active Strip Mines and evolving waterway projects.