1901 Map of Tonawanda

About this map

Industrial and agricultural life along the Niagara River centers on the bustling hub of North Tonawanda, where the Erie Canal meets a dense network of steam and electric rail lines. The landscape north of the river is a mosaic of small settlements like Bergholtz, St. Johnsburg, and Sanborn, reflecting a deeply settled rural interior defined by the escarpment near Pekin. Of particular historical significance is the Tuscarora Indian Reservation, situated just south of Lewiston. The map illustrates the complex transport geography of the era, including the New York Central and Hudson River R. R. and the Buffalo and Lockport Electric R. R., which facilitated the movement of goods and people between the growing urban centers and the fruit-growing districts of Porter and Wilson. River islands such as Cayuga Id. and Buckhorn Id. remain undeveloped, while the mainland shores at La Salle and Edgewater show the beginnings of riverfront expansion.