Loading map...

1898 Map of Rochester

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

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

The Genesee River serves as the central artery for this late 19th-century landscape, carving through a dense grid of city streets before reaching the shores of Lake Ontario at Charlotte. The city of Rochester is shown at a pivotal moment of expansion, its growth deeply tied to the Erie Canal and an intricate network of rail lines including the New York Central and Hudson River R.R. and the Lehigh Valley R.R..

Beyond the urban core, the map reveals the era's recreational and industrial patterns, from the heights of Cobb Hill and Pinnacle Hill to the summer retreats along Irondequoit Bay. Small railway stops and junctions like Barnard Crossing, South Greece Station, and Genesee Junction highlight the rural-to-suburban transition of Monroe County. The presence of the Genesee Valley Canal R.R. illustrates the reuse of older transportation corridors for modern steam travel.