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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

Albany serves as the central hub of this 1916 survey, where the convergence of the Willamette River and the Santiam River defines the landscape. The intricate network of river channels, sloughs, and oxbow lakes like Colorado Lake and Horseshoe Lake illustrates the complex hydrology of the valley before modern management. The area is dense with early 20th-century rural infrastructure, featuring a high concentration of country schools such as Hawk School, Richland School, and Price School that anchored these farming communities.

Transportation is dominated by the competing corridors of the Southern Pacific and the Oregon Electric railroads, which facilitated the movement of goods and people between smaller sidings and stations like Wellsdale Sta and Tangent. Distinctive terrain features like Knox Butte and Spring Hill rise above the alluvial floor, while unique landmarks such as the State Game Farm provide insight into the region's early conservation and land use efforts. This map documents the agricultural valley at a time when local life was organized around small district schools and proximity to the rail lines.