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1903 Map of Richfield Springs

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Richfield Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

Otsego Lake and its northern shoreline anchor this landscape at the junction of Herkimer and Otsego counties. At the turn of the century, a dedicated Steamboat Route operated on the lake, connecting Lentsville to points north, while the D. L. & W. R. R. served the established village of Richfield Springs near the shores of Canadarago Lake. The terrain is characterized by prominent heights like Waiontha Mt and Wellington Mt, which overlook a network of smaller glacial lakes including Weaver Lake and Youngs Lake.

Rural life in the 1890s centered around scattered hamlets and crossroads such as Springfield Center, Starkville, and Vanhornsville. The map details an era before modern highway expansion, where narrow valleys like Cherry Valley were defined by local waterways like Shadow Brook and Otsquago Creek. These features illustrate a period when agricultural proximity to rail and water transit dictated the growth of Central New York settlements.