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1901 Map of Tonawanda

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Tonawanda
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

North Tonawanda and Tonawanda anchor the southern edge of this landscape, where the Niagara River meets the Erie Canal. At the turn of the century, this region was a critical nexus for industrial transport, featuring a dense network of steam and electric lines like the Buffalo and Lockport Electric R. R. and the Rome Watertown and Ogdensburg Div. of the New York Central. North of the heavy rail corridors, the terrain transitions into the Tuscarora Indian Reservation and agricultural townships.

Small settlements such as Model City, Bergholtz, and Sanborn dot the interior, connected by a web of creeks including Cayuga Creek and Bergholtz Creek. Along the river, Grand Island shows early riverside communities like Sour Spring Grove and Edgewater. The map captures the era's reliance on both water and rail, visible at nodes like Lockport Junction and the numerous small stations serving rural Niagra County before the dominance of regional highways.