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1915 Map of Somerset

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Somerset
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1915
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1915

About this map

Laurel Hill dominates the western topography of this 1915 survey, serving as a natural divide between the industrializing coal fields of Somerset County and the valley settlements of Westmoreland County. The map documents an era of transition where early mountain roads, such as the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Road, coexist with expanding extraction infrastructure. Numerous coal operations are visible, including the Brenda Mine near Boswell and the Husband Mine further south, linked by a growing network of rail lines like the Ligonier Valley RR.

Rural life is intricately mapped through dozens of one-room schoolhouses like New Fountain School and Thomas Crossroads School, alongside small community hubs such as Sipesville Station and Lavansville. The presence of the Quemahoning Tunnel and various mills, including Restors Mill, illustrates the engineering required to navigate this landscape. This sheet provides a detailed look at the rail-and-mine economy that defined the region before the modernization of the mid-twentieth century.