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1897 Map of Albion

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Albion
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1928
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1928

About this map

The Erie Canal cuts through the northern landscape of this Orleans and Genesee County survey, anchoring the village of Albion and passing near the bend at Holley. This era reveals a transition between canal-based transport and an intensive network of competing rail lines, including the New York Central RR and the Lehigh Valley RR. Between these hubs lies the expansive Oak Orchard Swamp, a massive wetland that dictated the settlement patterns of the late 19th century.

Evidence of early agricultural drainage is visible in the Orchard Ditch and along Oak Orchard Creek, while the southern portion of the map centers on the industrial and transit hub of Batavia. Local history researchers will find numerous family-named landmarks and small hamlets like Richs Corners, Langton Corners, and Morganville connected by a grid of rural roads before the age of major highway expansion.