Loading map...

1945 Map of Durham

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of Durham
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Catskill Creek carves a deep path through the Catskill foothills at the end of World War II, defining the local geography as it flows through Cooksburg and past the village of Oak Hill. The map captures a rural landscape where education and community life remained localized in numerous district schools, such as Cheese Hill School, Sayer Sch, and Craw Sch, even as the Durham Central Sch began to centralize local schooling.

Settlement patterns follow the water and the narrow valley floors, with hamlets like Preston Hollow and Potter Hollow established along the primary roads. Genealogists will find a well-documented landscape of family and community history, with several burial grounds including Brookside Cem and Pratt Cem clearly marked. The high ground is dominated by prominent peaks like Mt Pisgah and Cheese Hill, providing a detailed look at the upland dairy farms and woodlots of the mid-20th century Greene and Albany County borders.