Loading map...

1900 Map of Brooklyn

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Brooklyn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1931
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1931

About this map

North Brooklyn and its surrounding boroughs are presented during a period of massive infrastructure expansion, where the grid of New York meets the sprawling wetlands of Jamaica Bay. The map reveals a landscape defined by its transit networks, featuring several lines of the Electric R.R. and the Long Island R.R. branching through emerging neighborhoods like Winfield Junction and Woodhaven. The dense urban development of Brooklyn Borough contrasts sharply with the intricate network of tidal marshes and islands such as Ruffle Bar and Barren Island to the south.

Genealogists will find the extensive cemetery districts particularly valuable, including the massive Evergreen Cemetery, Lutheran Cemetery, and Greenwood Cemetery. The map also documents the industrial waterfronts along the East River at Hunters Point and Greenpoint, alongside established recreational spaces like Prospect Park and the burgeoning Atlantic coastline at Rockaway Beach. This survey records the region just as the outer boroughs were solidifying their identity within the consolidated city.