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1908 Map of Seneca

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of Seneca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

The Potomac River corridor at the turn of the century serves as a vital transportation artery, defined by the parallel paths of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This survey, conducted in 1907, captures the agricultural heart of Montgomery County before its suburban expansion, featuring established crossroads like Poolesville and Germantown. River crossings remain essential to local commerce and travel, evidenced by the active Whites Ferry and Edwards Ferry.

On the Virginia side of the river, the Southern RR (Bluemont Branch) connects rural outposts such as Ashburn and Sterling. The map meticulously details the river's geography, naming numerous islands like Selden Island and Van Deventer Island, alongside historic landmarks such as Balls Bluff. Smaller rural communities including Sugarland, Dawsonville, and Sellman populate the landscape, linked by a network of creeks like Seneca Creek and Broad Run that once powered local industry.