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1898 Map of Harlem

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

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

Hudson River and the rugged Palisades dominate this late-nineteenth-century landscape, capturing the upper reaches of Manhattan and the developing boroughs during a period of massive infrastructure growth. The dense street grids of the Manhattan Borough and Bronx Borough are contrasted by the massive acreage of Van Cortlandt Park and the sprawling Woodlawn Cemetery. On the New Jersey side, early rail lines like the Northern Railroad of New Jersey and the West Shore Railroad service towns such as Tenafly and Englewood.

The waterways are teeming with history, from the treacherous currents of Hell Gate to the navigational beacon of Steppingstone Light in Long Island Sound. Notable landmarks include Grants Tomb on the river's edge and the coastal defenses at Fort Schuyler. The map documents a landscape in transition, where old landings like Bull's Ferry coexist with the emerging suburban character of Yonkers and New Rochelle.