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1948 Map of Wildwood Fire Tower

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Wildwood Fire Tower
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Wildwood Fire Tower stands as a central landmark over a heavily dissected landscape where the borders of Elk, McKean, and Cameron counties converge. Photorevised in the early 1970s from 1940s data, this map captures a remote section of the Pennsylvania wilds defined by a dense network of watercourses and deep hollows. The small settlement of Wellendorf Station in the north suggests the area's historical reliance on the rail-and-timber industry, situated near the headwaters of the Wellendorf Branch.

Southward, the drainage of Sinnemahoning Creek and its many tributaries, such as Indian Camp Run and Windfall Run, dominate the terrain. Notable local nomenclature like Devils Hole, Boy Scout Hollow, and Billy Buck Run provide specific touchpoints for local historians and genealogists tracing family lands or hunting camps in the townships of Sergeant, Jones, and Shippen. The intricate contouring illustrates the challenging topography that shaped early settlement patterns and land use in this corner of the state.