Franklin County, Pa., Soil Types

This map of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, shows the soil types in the county. Residents in Franklin concentrated their development on the best soils, though Franklin's population density forced residents to inhabit a wide array of soil types. This map effectively also effectively shows the dense concentration of residences along the major roads in the county.

The map is based on GIS data and soil type data derived from a 1978 U.S. Geological Survey soil map. The map is derived from a D. H. Davison map of Franklin County, published in 1858. The Davison map has been georeferenced at the Virginia Center for Digital History, using ESRI Arc Info to produce a Geographic Information Systems map and database of households.

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Edward L. Ayers and William G. Thomas, III
Franklin County, Pa., Soil Types
2001

"On a per capita basis, Franklin farmers grew far less corn and more wheat than their counterparts in Augusta, and their commitment to wheat was seen by many as both the symbol of the North's wealth and the evidence of its superior labor system."