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1916 Map of Albany

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Albany
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

The Willamette River and its complex system of sloughs and cutoffs dominate this 1916 landscape, illustrating the intricate relationship between early Oregon agriculture and the waterway. At the heart of the region, Albany serves as a vital junction for the Southern Pacific and Oregon Electric railroads, which weave through the floodplain alongside the Pacific Highway. The survey reveals a landscape of active river management and transit, including the Albany Ditch and multiple river crossings like Fisher Ferry and Williams Ferry.

Rural life is densely mapped through a network of district schools, such as Fir Grove School and McFarland School, and small railroad sidings like Wellsdale Sta. and Pirtle. The terrain is punctuated by distinctive volcanic remnants like Knox Butte and Gale Butte, which rise above the surrounding fertile bottoms of Calapooya Creek and Oak Creek. This era captures the Willamette Valley during a peak of rail-dependent small-town growth before the full dominance of the automobile.