1903 Map of Poughkeepsie

About this map

Hudson River commerce and industrial transport define this region at the turn of the century, with Poughkeepsie serving as a dense hub for institutional and educational development. The shoreline is crowded with rail infrastructure, including the West Shore R.R. on the western bank and the New York Central and Hudson River R.R. to the east. Institutional landmarks such as Vassar College and the Hudson River State Hospital occupy significant footprints near the city center. Southward, the landscape transitions into a series of manufacturing and milling villages along Wappinger Creek and Fishkill Creek, where settlements like Matteawan, Glenham, and Wappinger Falls are interconnected by an Electric R.R. and several competing rail lines. Further inland, the topography rises toward the Fishkill Mountains, overlooking a network of smaller agrarian hamlets and junctions like Hopewell Junction and Brinckerhoff.