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1895 Map of Ithaca

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Ithaca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

Ithaca sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in this 1895 survey, a period when the Steamboat Route and the Lehigh Valley R.R. still dominated the regional transport landscape. The terrain rises sharply from the lakefront into the high hills of Newfield and Enfield, punctuated by dramatic natural landmarks like Buttermilk Falls and Enfield Falls. These elevations, including Key Hill and Bull Hill, define a topography where small settlements like Trumbull Corner and Applegate are clustered around creek valleys and mountain gaps.

The map reveals a transition between the industrialized waterfront of the city and the rural upland townships. Smaller water bodies like Cayuta Lake and Spencer Lake serve as anchors for the outlying communities of Cayutaville and North Spencer. Local genealogists can trace the early road networks and rail corridors that connected the county seats and township lines long before the expansion of modern highways.