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1902 Map of Phelps

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Phelps
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1905
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1905

About this map

The industrial and agricultural corridors of Ontario County are clearly defined at the turn of the century, marked by a dense network of competing rail lines. The New York Central and Hudson River R. R. and the Lehigh Valley R. R. cut across the northern landscape, servicing the manufacturing hubs of Shortsville and Clifton Springs. To the south, the Northern Central R. R. and its Naples Br. connect the rural communities of Stanley and Gorham.

Hydrology plays a central role in the geography, with the Canandaigua Outlet winding through Phelps and Manchester Center. In the southeast corner, the N. Y. Agricultural Station sits on the outskirts of the lake region, signifying the era's focus on scientific farming. Researchers will find numerous small crossroads and hamlets, such as Ennerdale Beulah, Seneca Castle, and Halls Corners, that highlight the 19th-century settlement pattern before the dominance of the automobile.