1961 Map of Cuba

About this map

The Oil Spring Indian Reservation sits at the heart of this landscape, centered around the historic Oil Spring and the waters of Cuba Lake. This 1961 survey documents a transition in Western New York, where the village of Cuba serves as a transportation hub for the Erie-Lackawanna and Pennsylvania railroads. The map records the industrial and civic footprint of the era, from the Tannery and Filtration Plant near the village center to the Olean Municipal Airport on the western heights of Hatch Hill. Rural life is detailed through small clusters like North Cuba, South Cuba, and Haskell Flats. Geologists and historians will find evidence of the region's early resource extraction, noting numerous Gas Wells and the remnants of the Little Genesee Valley Canal tracing the path of Oil Creek.