1918 Map of Oneonta

About this map

The Susquehanna River carves a deep valley through this section of the Northern Allegheny Plateau, serving as the primary corridor for regional transport and settlement in the early twentieth century. The city of Oneonta appears as a dense hub at the confluence of Oneonta Creek and the river, where the Delaware and Hudson and Ulster and Delaware railroads meet. This industrial and transit activity contrasts with the agricultural character of the surrounding hills, which are dotted with dozens of numbered rural schools and small milk-processing sites like the Arctic Creamery. South of the river, the landscape is defined by long, parallel ridges and valleys such as Bartlett Hollow and Bennett Hollow, where the New York Ontario and Western railway threads through Franklin Depot and Merrickville. The map captures a high-density network of upland farming communities, many centered on small water bodies like Emmons Pond and Chisholm Pond.