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1894 Map of Wilkes-Barre

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Wilkes-Barre
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

The Susquehanna River and its industrial valley dominate the northern edge of this landscape, where the heavy infrastructure of the late nineteenth-century coal region is most apparent. Extensive rail networks, including the Lehigh Valley R. R. and the C. R. R. of N. J., weave through the valley floor to serve high-density settlements like Wilkes Barre, Nanticoke, and Ashley. Beyond the immediate river corridor, the terrain rises sharply into the ridge-and-valley province, marked by prominent features such as Wyoming Mountain and Penobscot Mountain.

In the southern reaches, the map reveals a shift toward smaller industrial outposts and natural resources. Settlements like Lehigh Tannery and White Haven sit along the Lehigh and Susquehanna Division tracks, while the interior is defined by rugged plateaus and water bodies like Crystal Lake and Fountain Lake. The presence of small patches and gaps, such as Moffatt Patch and Warrior Gap, provides evidence of the specific settlement patterns dictated by both geology and the emerging extractive industries of Luzerne County.