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1953 Map of Union Bridge

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Union Bridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Union Bridge and its surrounding countryside in the 1950s are defined by the convergence of the Pennsylvania and Western Maryland railroads along the banks of Little Pipe Creek. This central Maryland landscape is shaped by productive valleys and early industry, featuring a high density of water-powered infrastructure such as Crouse Mill, Otterdale Mill, and Simpsons Mill. The rural heritage of the region is evident in the numerous small settlements and family farmsteads, including Walden Farms and Middleburg.

The border between Carroll Co and Frederick Co snakes through the terrain, connecting a network of local roads that lead to community anchors like Elmer Wolf High Sch and Bowens Chapel. Traces of older extraction and processing remain scattered across the hills, from a notable Copper Mine to a Quarry near Beaver Dam Creek, illustrating the transition from a traditional milling economy to mid-century rural development.