Loading map...

1947 Map of Wilkes-Barre West

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Wilkes-Barre West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Plymouth and the surrounding coal-country settlements define this reach of the Susquehanna River, where the industrial character of the Wyoming Valley is etched into the landscape. The map shows a region shaped by extractive industry, where numerous strip mines and mine dumps sit adjacent to established neighborhoods like Larksville, Breslau, and Buttonwood. Significant family and local history details are preserved, from Shawnee Cem in the north to the small crossroads of Vandermark Corners in the south.

South of the river, the terrain climbs sharply toward Penobscot Mountain and the water-filled basins of Nuangola Lake and The Ice Ponds. The presence of Conrail lines weaving through gaps like Solomon Gap illustrates the complex rail network required to serve the anthracite region's collieries and towns. From the urban density of Wilkes-Barre to the small-town identity of Warrior Run (Peely P O), the sheet documents a pivotal era of Pennsylvania's industrial geography.