1898 Map of Olean

About this map

The Allegheny River valley forms the industrial and transport backbone of this late-nineteenth-century landscape, dominated by the major rail hub at Olean. The map captures a moment when several major lines converged, including the Western New York and Penna. R.R. and the Erie R.R. (Main Line). This rail infrastructure supported a burgeoning petroleum economy, evidenced by the clustered Oil Tanks and the presence of the Oil Spring Indian Reservation to the north.