Published in 1940 from survey work dated 1902, the US Geological Survey’s “Genoa” is a finely observed topographical portrait of New York’s Finger Lakes country at the opening of the twentieth century. At a scale of 1:62,500, it centers on the long eastern reach of Cayuga Lake and the rural uplands surrounding Trumansburg, Varick, Lansing, and Ovid. The map captures a region poised between agricultural tradition and modern infrastructure, where lakeside settlements, farm roads, rail connections, streams, and village centers form a delicate human pattern across a deeply sculpted landscape. Its subtle coloration and precise linework make the terrain immediately legible, while its historical date preserves a view of the area before later suburban growth, ecological change, and recreational development transformed parts of the lakeshore.

The US Geological Survey brought a scientific rigor to American mapmaking that is especially evident here. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s authoritative surveyor of landforms, watersheds, mineral resources, and settlement geography, producing maps that served engineers, farmers, planners, educators, and travelers alike. “Genoa” reflects the Survey’s disciplined visual language: contour lines trace every rise and hollow, watercourses are carefully named and threaded through valleys, and roads and settlements are rendered with understated clarity. Rather than dramatizing the landscape, the map explains it. Its beauty lies in accuracy—the quiet confidence of a federal survey that transforms hills, shorelines, ravines, and villages into a coherent geographical record of central New York.

Cayuga Lake dominates the composition, its narrow north-south body anchoring the map both visually and geographically. One of the great Finger Lakes, Cayuga was carved by glacial action, leaving steep slopes, fertile soils, and a strikingly elongated basin that shaped settlement patterns for generations. The surrounding contours reveal why roads and communities developed where they did: along gentler shelves, stream valleys, and lakeside approaches. Points such as Myers Point and the shorelines near Lansing speak to the area’s long relationship with water, travel, fishing, farming, and later recreation. The lake’s presence also connects this map to a wider regional story of vineyards, orchards, academic life, and scenic tourism that would increasingly define the Finger Lakes in the twentieth century.

Among the most compelling features of the region is its network of gorges, falls, and watercourses, rendered here through the tight choreography of contour and stream. Taughannock Falls, near Trumansburg, belongs to one of New York’s most dramatic natural landscapes, where water cuts through layered shale and sandstone before descending toward Cayuga Lake. Fall Creek, Enfield, Slaterville Springs, and the ravined country around South Hill evoke the rugged topography that distinguishes this area from gentler farming districts to the north. The map’s contouring allows the viewer to read these landscapes almost physically: the sudden compression of lines marks steep walls and plunging valleys, while wider spacing suggests arable uplands and open rural ground.

As a historical document, “Genoa” offers a richly layered view of a landscape before the full impact of automobile tourism, expanded lakeside residences, modern conservation areas, and later urban development. Places such as Seneca Falls, Ovid, Varick, Trumansburg, and Lansing appear within a broader matrix of farms, roads, waterways, and small communities that defined daily life in the early 1900s. The map also anticipates the region’s later identity as a destination for scenic routes, state parks, lakeside trails, and nature reserves. Its careful depiction of land and water makes it valuable not only as cartography, but as a record of how people once inhabited the Finger Lakes—through agriculture, movement, local industry, and close attention to the contours of the land.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Cayuga Lake
• Trumansburg
• Varick
• Lansing
• Ovid
• Seneca Falls
• Taughannock Falls
• Myers Point
• South Hill
• Montour Falls
• Fall Creek
• Enfield
• Slaterville Springs
• Scenic routes and trails along the lake
• Nearby parks and nature reserves

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Cayuga Lake, Trumansburg, and the surrounding area in New York.
• The map is dated 1902 and carries a 1940 imprint.
• Published by the US Geological Survey, known for its detailed topographic surveys of the United States.
• Cayuga Lake is one of New York’s Finger Lakes, notable for its scenic beauty and recreational appeal.
• Intricate contour lines show elevation changes across the landscape.
• Subtle colors help distinguish land features effectively.
• The terrain is clearly represented through contours showing hills and valleys around the lake.
• The area has changed significantly since the early 1900s, with urban development and ecological shifts affecting both natural and human-made landscapes.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.