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1902 Map of Skaneateles

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Skaneateles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Skaneateles Lake and its deep glacial valley dominate this late 19th-century landscape, serving as a vital transport corridor before the dominance of modern highways. The presence of the Steamboat Route connecting the village of Skaneateles to remote landings like Borodino Landing and Gregory Ldg. illustrates a time when the water was the primary highway for local commerce and travel. Along Skaneateles Creek, a string of industrial hamlets including Skaneateles Falls, Mottville, and Willow Glen shows how the lake's outflow powered early Finger Lakes manufacturing.

Away from the water, the upland terrain is dotted with traditional crossroads settlements such as Shepard Settlement and Baptist Four Corners. The eastern portion of the sheet captures the rugged descent into Otisco Lake and the village of Marcellus on Nine Mile Creek. This survey by H.M. Wilson and J.H. Jennings provides a detailed view of family-named points and landings like Barber Point and Threemile Pt., essential for researchers tracing the early settlement patterns of Onondaga and Cayuga counties.