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1903 Map of Hempstead

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Hempstead
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1907
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1907

About this map

Hempstead and its surrounding villages appear at the opening of the twentieth century as a landscape of transitioning rural estates and growing rail hubs. This survey illustrates the intricate network of the Long Island R. R., including the Hempstead Branch and the Montauk Division, which fueled the development of communities like Garden City, Mineola, and Rockville Center. Notable early landmarks include the Camp Meeting Grounds near Smithville South and the military grounds at Creedmoor.

The southern shoreline is a complex maze of salt marshes, tidal creeks, and barrier beaches before the major twentieth-century land reclamations. Features such as Hempstead Reservoir, Millburn Reservoir, and numerous smaller ponds like Barnum Pond and Simonson Pond highlight the importance of water management in this era. Along the Atlantic, the Long Beach L. S. Sta. and Pt. Lookout L. S. Sta. stand watch over the shifting sands of Long Beach and Jones Beach, documenting a coast that preceded the modern resort era.