1903 Map of West Canada Lakes

About this map

The West Canada Lakes region of Hamilton County is documented here during a period defined by logging camps and early wilderness recreation at the start of the 20th century. This interior Adirondack landscape features isolated outposts such as Kenwells and Millers Camp, which served as critical nodes for early travelers and woodsmen before modern road networks permeated the forest. The map reveals a complex hydrography including the South Branch Moose River and the headwaters of the West Canada River, weaving through a terrain of high peaks like Seventh Lake Mt. and Goodluck Mt.. A notable surveyor's landmark, the Totten and Crossfield Line, cuts across the wilderness, representing the historical colonial-era land grants that shaped New York's northern frontier. Local character is found in evocative names like Helldiver Pond, Sampson Bog, and the curiously named The Plains along the Moose River.