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1943 Map of De Ruyter

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of De Ruyter
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The Tioughnioga River and its various branches anchor this 1943 survey, carving through a landscape of high ridges and narrow valleys at the meeting point of Onondaga, Madison, and Cortland Counties. The massive De Ruyter Reservoir dominates the eastern half of the sheet, framed by the steep slopes of Arab Hill and Highland Park. This era shows a well-established network of rural school districts, with numerated sites like School No 11 near the small community of Cowles Settlement and School No 1 at Vincent Corners.

Transport and topography are closely linked here, as roads like Lehigh Valley Road follow the natural contours of the river valleys. Small, localized settlements such as Puckerville, Gooseville Corners, and West Woodstock are clearly documented alongside several family-named burial grounds, including Smith Cem and Burdick Cem. The map provides a precise record of the agricultural and hydraulic development of the region before mid-century changes altered the local character.