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1915 Map of Somerset

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Somerset
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Ligonier and the surrounding high country of the Laurel Hill ridge define the western landscape of this early 20th-century survey. The terrain is marked by the deep transit history of Pennsylvania, featuring the historic Forbes Road and the Pittsburgh And Philadelphia Road winding through the gaps. Industrial and transit development is evident in the Quemahoning Tunnel and the specialized rail lines like the Pittsburgh Westmoreland and Somerset RR, which served the region's timber and coal interests before the full modernization of the state highway system.

Settlement patterns follow the water and rail corridors, with established hubs like Boswell and Somerset contrasting with smaller crossroads like Thomas Crossroads and Jenner Crossroads. The map is particularly dense with rural educational history, capturing dozens of named schoolhouses such as Willow Grove School, Saylor School, and Haines School that served the dispersed farming and mining families. On the western slopes, the presence of Rectors Mill and Speedwell suggests the early milling and iron-related industries that once dotted the Loyalhanna Creek drainage.