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1903 Map of Fostoria

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Fostoria
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Fostoria serves as the focal point for this turn-of-the-century landscape, appearing as a dense hub where seven different rail lines converge at the corner of Wood, Hancock, and Seneca counties. This incredible concentration of transportation infrastructure, including the Baltimore and Ohio RR and the Lake Erie and Western RR, underscores the city's role as a vital industrial junction during Ohio's manufacturing boom.

Beyond the urban center, the map transitions into a grid of rural townships like Loudon and Big Spring, where small agricultural settlements such as New Riegel and Bascom are connected by a network of creeks. Waterways like the East Branch Portage River and Muskelunge Creek wind through the countryside, alongside smaller stops like West Independence and Berwick. The meticulous surveying by Chas. E. Cooke and Geo. T. Hawkins reveals the precise layout of section lines and early roads that still define these farming communities today.