1943 Map of Dunkirk

About this map

The industrial and maritime activity of Dunkirk and Fredonia anchors this mid-century survey along the shores of Lake Erie. The landscape is defined by a dense network of major railroads, including the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and the Nickel Plate, which facilitated the movement of goods through the region's prominent grape-growing belt. Moving inland from the coast at Van Buren Pt, the terrain rises toward the Cassadaga Lakes, where the spiritualist community of Lily Dale and the neighboring village of Cassadaga are situated. This area reflects a distinct era of inland development, with small rural nodes like Stockton, Sinclairville, and Burnhams connected by a web of creeks such as Canadaway Creek and Cassadaga Creek. The presence of the Pickett Sch and the County Hospital provides essential markers for genealogists and local historians tracing the social infrastructure of Chautauqua County during the 1940s.