1962 Map of Elmira

About this map

Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake dominate this mid-century portrait of the Finger Lakes region, a landscape defined by deep glacial troughs and the industrial corridors of the Allegheny Plateau. The map documents a mature network of rail lines, including the Erie Lackawanna Railroad and New York Central Railroad, which supported the manufacturing hubs of Elmira, Corning, and Ithaca. Educational institutions like Cornell University and Elmira College appear alongside significant military and conservation sites, such as the Seneca Army Depot and Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The terrain transitions from the broad river valleys of the Susquehanna River and Chemung River in the south to the fertile plains near Syracuse and Geneva to the north, capturing the area before the full expansion of the modern interstate system replaced older thoroughfares like U.S. Highway 20.