1966 Map of Spring Mills

About this map

Penns Valley serves as the agricultural and industrial heart of this Central Pennsylvania landscape, where the Penn Central railroad corridor follows the winding course of Penns Creek. Small mid-century settlements like Spring Mills, Farmers Mills, and Penn Hall are concentrated in the northern lowlands, supported by numerous local congregations at Bethesda Ch and St Johns Ch. South of the valley, the terrain shifts dramatically into the ridgelines of First Mountain and Penn Mountain, much of which is preserved within the Bald Eagle State Forest and Rothrock State Forest. The map documents a complex network of forest roads and trails, such as the Siglerville Millheim Pike, which navigate steep gaps including Vonada Gap and Synagogue Gap. This 1966 survey, with limited 1973 revisions, preserves the alignment of rural infrastructure before modern expansion, marking several shale pits and the Poe Lookout Tower atop the southern ridges.