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1955 Map of Shenandoah

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Shenandoah
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Shenandoah and the surrounding anthracite coal country are shown here in detail during the mid-20th century. The landscape is defined by the steep ridges of Locust Mountain and Bear Ridge, where the complex network of the Conrail lines snakes through narrow valleys to serve coal-patch towns like Ellen Gowan, Maizeville, and Pattersonville. Industrial footprints are prominent, particularly the East William Penn (Shaft P O) and numerous water management systems such as the Kehly Run Reservoirs and Waste House Run Reservoirs that supplied the dense mining communities.

Local landmarks provide significant genealogical value, including the Old White Ch, St Joseph Cem, and the uniquely named Peddlars Grave on the northern slope of Locust Mountain. The transition from industrial centers like Mahanoy City to the more rural northern valleys of Ringtown Valley and Catawissa Valley illustrates the sharp divide between the mining-heavy south and the agricultural north during this era of Pennsylvania history.