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1900 Map of Oswego

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Oswego
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

The southern shoreline of Lake Ontario dominates this turn-of-the-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by its bays and its bustling rail network. The city of Oswego sits at the northeastern corner, where the grid-like urban streets meet the waterfront, while the western shore is characterized by the prominent inlets of Little Sodus Bay and Blind Sodus Bay. These waters, protected by points like The Pond, were critical for the regional trade that flowed through the port at Fairhaven.

Moving inland, the map captures a rural economy of small settlements and family-named hubs. Small hamlets like Sterling Valley, Fruit Valley, and Kinney Corners are linked by a dense web of transportation infrastructure, including the Electric Railroad and the Rome Watertown and Ogdensburg Line. The survey also marks the intersection of Oswego and Cayuga County, providing a clear view of the territorial organization between towns like Hannibal and Sterling before modern development altered these historic corridors.