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1898 Map of Olean

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Olean
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1899
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1899

About this map

The industrial hub of Olean sits at the heart of this late 19th-century landscape, where the Allegheny River meets a dense web of competing rail lines. This survey captures a pivotal era of resource extraction and transit, evidenced by the clustered Oil Tanks south of the city and the proximity of the Oil Spring Indian Reservation near Cuba. The railroad network is remarkably intricate, featuring the Erie R.R., the Western New York and Pennsylvania R.R., and various specialized divisions like the Narrow Gauge Div. that once threaded through these hills.

Moving away from the river valleys, the map details numerous named hollows and summits, such as Woodchuck Hollow and Typhahda Mt.. Small settlements like Westons Mills, Hinsdale, and Portville follow the watercourses and tracks, while landmarks like Flatiron Rock and Rock City define the higher elevations near the Pennsylvania border. This sheet provides an essential record for tracing the evolution of Cattaraugus County's rail-and-oil economy.