1905 Map of Portage

About this map

Genesee River gorges and the dramatic drop of the Upper Falls, Middle Falls, and Lower Falls dominate the eastern edge of this Wyoming County landscape. This early twentieth-century survey reveals a region defined by its rail-and-water geography, where the Erie RR and the Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburg RR converge near Silver Lake Junction. The northern shores of Silver Lake are particularly developed, showing the Silver Lake Assembly and the village of Perry. Away from the river, the map documents a dense network of upland settlements like Wethersfield Springs, Orangeville Center, and Rock Glen, reflecting a mature agricultural and early industrial economy before the consolidation of rural communities. The intricate contouring around Warsaw illustrates the steep valley walls that shaped the growth of these western New York towns.