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1954 Map of Smithton

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Smithton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Youghiogheny River coal and industrial activity define this portrait of Westmoreland County, where the steep river valley at Smithton gives way to a landscape heavily reshaped by mining. The 1954 field data, updated with 1969 aerial revisions, captures a network of strip mines and industrial sites like the Youngwood Compressing Station and the Waltz Mill facility. These industrial hubs are interconnected by the Penn Central and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, which weave through the terrain alongside the Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Road.

Local life is anchored by numerous community landmarks, including the South Huntingdon Twp High Sch and a cluster of churches such as Barren Run Ch and Madison Ch. Smaller hamlets like Yukon, Wyano, and Van Meter dot the hillsides, often situated near specific resource extractions like the Eureka Mine. The presence of institutions like the Mineral No 14 Sch and cemeteries like St Timothys Cem offer specific touchpoints for genealogical research in this hardworking corner of Pennsylvania.