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1921 Map of Cranberry Lake

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Cranberry Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

Cranberry Lake and its intricate shoreline dominate this portion of the Adirondacks during the early 1920s, a period defined by the industrial extraction of iron and timber. The New York Central railroad serves the isolated industrial hubs of Benson Mines and Newton Falls, while the settlement of Wanakena sits at the junction of the Oswegatchie River and the State Ranger School. The landscape is a complex network of water and high peaks, including Wolf Mtn, Cat Mtn, and Indian Mtn.

Evidence of the wilderness character is seen in the numerous named ponds like Darning Needle Pond and Olmstead Pond, while the Dead Creek Flow illustrates the controlled water levels of the era. To the south, the map captures remote outposts such as Robinwood and Nehasane along the railroad line as it crosses the Boundary Line into Herkimer and Hamilton counties. This survey provides a precise record of the topography and infrastructure before more modern development altered these northern woods.