1901 Map of Buffalo

About this map

Buffalo dominates the landscape of the early 1900s, anchored by a dense street grid that terminates at the industrial waterfront of Lake Erie and the Niagara River. The city is a massive rail hub, where lines like the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. and the Belt Line converge to serve the harbor. Along the shore, the Buffalo Breakwater L. H. and Buffalo L. H. protect the entrance to the Erie Canal, while the International Bridge connects the city to Canada across Squaw Id. To the north, Grand Island remains largely rural, dotted with small landings like Sheenwater and Warrendale. The surrounding townships of Amherst and Cheektowaga show the early growth of satellite settlements such as Kenmore, Snyder, and Williamsville, reflecting a period when Buffalo was one of the nation's premier industrial and transit centers.