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1915 Map of Northeast

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Northeast
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1915
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1915

About this map

The southern shore of Lake Erie dominates the northern edge of this survey, where the township of Northeast serves as a vital hub for the region's early 20th-century transportation network. Parallel rail lines, including the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern and the New York Chicago and St Louis, cut across the landscape, linking coastal settlements like Freeport and Orchard Beach. Moving inland, the terrain transitions into a dense grid of rural school districts and hamlets such as Philipsville and Colts Station.

The presence of numerous family-named schools, such as Brawley School and Williams School, reflects the decentralized agrarian society of Erie Co at the time. To the south, the headwaters of French Creek and its tributaries, including Alder Run, carve through the hills toward Wattsburg. This geography created a distinct economy where coastal rail traffic contrasted with the quiet, creek-side settlements of Greenfield and Venango.