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1902 Map of Palmyra

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Palmyra
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

The industrial and agricultural geography of Wayne County comes into focus in this late 19th-century survey, defined by the parallel paths of the Erie Canal and several major rail lines. The landscape is characterized by a striking pattern of elongated north-south hills, including Mormon Hill in the southwest and Baker Hill near Minsteed. These drumlins dictate the flow of local waters like Sodus Creek and Fly Creek as they move toward the lake.

Settlement is concentrated along the transport corridors, with Palmyra and Newark serving as primary hubs of activity. The map meticulously records the era's diverse transit options, from the heavy rail of the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. to the local Rochester Sodus Bay Electric R. R. near Williamson. Further north, the ancient Ridge Road provides a terrestrial counterpoint to the canal-based economy that built towns like Port Gibson and East Palmyra.