1897 Map of Albion

About this map

Albion and Batavia anchor this turn-of-the-century landscape, connected by a network of critical nineteenth-century transport corridors. The Erie Canal cuts through the northern section near Holley and Rich's Corners, while multiple rail lines, including the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. and the Lehigh Valley R. R., crisscross the central and southern townships. This infrastructure supported a rural economy built around the drainage of the expansive Oak Orchard Swamp, a dominant natural feature that separates the northern settlements from the rolling hills to the south. Small, family-named hamlets like Genung, Daws, and Newkirk appear alongside crossroads such as Langton Corners, revealing the dense pattern of early Western New York settlement before the widespread adoption of the automobile. The map also captures the Orleans Co. Genesee Co. Boundary Line as it passes through the swamp and various creek basins.