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1905 Map of Depew

Name: 1905 Topographic Map of Depew
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1930
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1930

About this map

Depew and Lancaster emerge as significant industrial and rail hubs in this early twentieth-century landscape, dominated by a dense network of competing trunk lines. The New York Central and Hudson River RR, Lehigh Valley RR, and the Erie RR converge here, creating a complex grid of tracks and junctions that fueled the regional economy. Smaller communities like Bowmansville and Looneyville are documented alongside specialized railroad stops such as Marilla Sta and Town Line Sta, reflecting a time when the rails dictated the growth of Erie County.

The topography transitions from the flatter northern sections near Harris Hill to the winding drainage basins of Cayuga Creek and Buffalo Creek. Family-named landmarks such as Peters Cors and Gunnville highlight the transition from agricultural homesteads to suburban settlements. This survey, conducted by J.H. Jennings and Gilbert Young, preserves the layout of rural roads like Transit Road and Girdled Road before modern highway development.