1903 Map of West Canada Lakes

About this map

Kenwells and several remote outposts like Millers Camp anchor this turn-of-the-century topographic record of the central Adirondack wilderness. Surveyed in 1898, the landscape is defined by its complex hydrology and high-elevation terrain, featuring the Fulton Chain Lakes in the northwest corner and the headwaters of the Moose River. Large open features such as The Plains contrast with the dense clustering of water bodies like Brooktrout Lake, West Lake, and Whitney Lake. This era represents a period when the region was primarily accessed via seasonal camps and river corridors, before modern infrastructure altered the more primitive character of the backcountry. Notable peaks like Wakely Mt. and Little Moose Mt. overlook the vast drainage basins of the Stillwater River and South Branch Moose River, providing a detailed look at the geographic isolation of these interior woodlands before the expansion of later 20th-century tourism.