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1895 Map of Ithaca

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Ithaca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1904
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1904

About this map

Ithaca sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, serving as the primary hub for this 1893 survey of central New York. The landscape is defined by deep glacial gouges and dramatic elevation shifts, most notably at Buttermilk Falls and the steep ravines of Enfield Falls. The Lehigh Valley Railroad snakes through the valley floors, following the natural corridors carved by Butternut Creek and Cayuta Creek, connecting the bustling lakeside city to southern outposts like Spencer Lake.

Beyond the industrial and academic growth of the city, the map reveals a rural network of small agricultural and crossroads settlements. Communities such as Trumbull Corner, Mecklenburg, and Newfield anchor the upland plateaus. High points like Connecticut Hill and Key Hill provide a stark contrast to the low-lying wetlands of Pony Hollow, illustrating the difficult terrain that early surveyors and railroad engineers navigated during the late nineteenth century.