1900 Map of Cherry Creek

About this map

The Chautauqua and Cattaraugus county borderlands at the close of the nineteenth century are defined by a landscape of glacial lakes and emerging rail infrastructure. The Erie R. R. Allegheny Division and the Buffalo and Southwestern Branch cut through the terrain, anchoring settlements like Forestville, South Dayton, and Perrysburg. The drainage patterns of the Conewango Valley are clearly visible, including a prominent Drainage Ditch designed to manage the wetlands near Cherry Creek and Leon. These water systems, alongside East Mud Lake and Mud Lake, illustrate the complex hydrology that influenced early agricultural development and town placement. Smaller hamlets such as Charlotte Center, Nashville, and Hamlet dot the township lines of Arkwright and Villenova, offering a detailed view of the rural crossroads and local stations like Smiths Mills Sta. that supported this regional economy.