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1898 Map of Philadelphia

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Philadelphia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

The Delaware River serves as the central artery for this late 19th-century survey, dividing the industrial and residential grid of Philadelphia from the developing townships of New Jersey. On the Pennsylvania side, the urban landscape is well-defined from Overbrook down through the Schuylkill River corridor to the U.S. Navy Yard at League Id. and the defensive works of Fort Mifflin. The map captures the dense network of the Pennsylvania R. R. and the B. & O. R. R., which fueled the region's manufacturing growth.

Across the water in New Jersey, the terrain transitions into a series of smaller settlements and agricultural lands. Established communities like Woodbury and Gloucester are surrounded by numerous named brooks and branches, such as Monongahela Brook and Almonesson Creek. This perspective reveals the early connectivity between the urban core and outlying villages like Mickleton and Barnsboro, illustrating the sprawling reach of the Philadelphia metropolitan influence before the massive bridge developments of the 20th century.