1898 Map of Berlin

About this map

Lebanon Springs Railroad tracks follow the narrow valley floor of the Kinderhook Creek, anchoring a string of rail-stop settlements from Berlin down through Stephentown to Wyomanock. This late-19th-century survey documents the transition from the high, rocky ridges of Berlin Mtn. and Potter Mtn. to the industrial and agricultural corridors of Rensselaer County. The map reveals a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes, where family names are etched into the terrain at Barber Hollow, Mc Master Hollow, and George Allen Hollow. To the west, the upland plateaus are dotted with numerous small water bodies like Big Bowman Pond and Dyking Pond, which fed the streams powering early local mills. The proximity of the Massachusetts and Vermont borders highlights the regional importance of these north-south valley routes for commerce and movement between the Taconic highlands and the surrounding lowlands.