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1893 Map of Greenwood Lake

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Greenwood Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1898
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

Greenwood Lake straddles the rugged boundary line between New York and New Jersey, serving as a focal point for a region defined by steep ridges and early industrial extraction. In the late nineteenth century, the landscape was a patchwork of iron mining operations, particularly concentrated on the eastern side of the lake near Peters Mine, Cannon Mine, and Blue Mine. The survey highlights the intense infrastructure required for this industry, including the Sterling Mountain Railroad and the Ringwood Branch E.R. which connected these remote extraction sites to broader markets.

Deep valleys separate formidable terrain like Bearfort Mountain and Wawayanda Mountain, where smaller settlements such as New Foundland and Uttertown appear as vital local hubs. The complex network of waterways, including the Pequannock River and Wanaque River, supported the mills and communities of Bloomingdale and Smith Mills. This map documents a transitional era where traditional mining and emerging transit corridors like the Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad coexisted with the expanding rural townships.