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1963 Map of Gowanda

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Gowanda
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Cattaraugus Creek carves a deep path through this landscape, marking the boundary between Erie and Cattaraugus counties. The village of Gowanda serves as a central hub, where the Erie-Lackawanna railroad lines converge near the Gowanda State Hospital and Central High Sch. This era of the early 1960s shows a region defined by its institutions and its geography, from the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in the north to the dramatic descent into Zoar Valley in the southeast.

Local history is preserved in the numerous burial grounds and rural settlements that dot the hillsides, including Jolls Cem and Pine Hill Cem. The presence of several Gas Wells and active Gravel Pits reflects the local resource extraction of the period. Further south, the map details the rural character of Dayton and Markhams, connected by the rail corridor and smaller waterways like Thatcher Brook and Johnson Cr.