Loading map...

1900 Map of Brooklyn

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Brooklyn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

Long Island is captured here during a era of intense urban expansion, where the gridiron streets of Brooklyn and Queens press against a wilder, marshy coast. The transition from dense residential wards to the extensive salt marshes of Jamaica Bay is starkly visible. Large tracts are preserved as green space and memorial grounds, including the massive Greenwood Cemetery, Cypress Hills Cemetery, and the landscaped Prospect Park. These parks stand as lungs for the growing metropolis while transit lines like the Long Island RR and the Long Island Electric RR snake outward toward developing suburbs.

The coastal geography reveals a pre-industrial shoreline defined by tidal channels and shifting sands. Communities like Canarsie, Bergen Beach, and Garritsons Creek are oriented toward the water, while the barrier beach at Rockaway Beach shows early developments at Oceanus and Arverne. The complex network of islands in the bay, such as Barren Island and Jo Cos Marsh, illustrates the labyrinthine water world that existed before modern landfilling and dredging reshaped the New York City waterfront.