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1960 Map of Shandaken

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Shandaken
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Esopus Creek winds through a deep valley in this 1960s revision of the Shandaken area, where the New York Central railroad follows the water's path past settlements like Big Indian and Allaben. This landscape is defined by the high peaks of the Catskill State Forest Preserve, including Slide Mtn and Panther Mtn, which frame the narrow hollows where local life centered.

Researchers will find clear evidence of the region's development as a mountain retreat, most notably at the Winnisook Club near Winnisook Lake. The map details a network of named cloves and hollows, such as Lost Clove and Rochester Hollow, which provide a look at the topography that dictated settlement patterns in Ulster County. From the Lookout Tower atop Belle Ayr Mountain to the cemeteries in Shandaken, the sheet documents the interface of wilderness and small-town infrastructure at mid-century.