1895 Map of Willsboro

About this map

Lake Champlain serves as the focal point of this late 19th-century survey, dividing the Adirondack foothills of New York from the Vermont shoreline. The maritime character of the era is evidenced by the Champlain Transportation Co. Steamer Route and key navigational aids like the Split Rock Pt. L.H. and Juniper Id. L.H. lighthouses. On the western shore, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. R. R. follows the narrow corridor between the mountains and the water, connecting the lakeside village of Essex and the industrial hub at Willsboro. Across the lake, the Rutland R. R. services the Vermont side through Charlotte. The map captures a transitional landscape where rugged peaks like Mt. Bigelow and Rattlesnake Mt. loom over a series of developed bays and peninsulas, including Willsboro Bay and Whallon Bay, where ferries such as McNeil Ferry still linked the two states before the era of modern bridges.