{"product_id":"old-map-of-erie-pennsylvania-by-usgs-1900-lake-erie-presque-isle-bay","title":"Old Map of Erie, Pennsylvania by USGS, 1900 – Lake Erie \u0026 Presque Isle Bay","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1906 from survey work undertaken in 1900, the US Geological Survey’s “Erie” presents an elegant and highly informative portrait of northwestern Pennsylvania at the opening of the twentieth century. Centered on Erie and its commanding position on Lake Erie, the map captures a city shaped by water, trade, and transport. Presque Isle Bay appears as the defining geographical feature: a sheltered natural harbor that helped Erie develop into one of the most important shipping and commercial centers on the Great Lakes. With its measured typography, restrained color, and precise topographic language, the map reflects the USGS commitment to scientific clarity while preserving a richly historical view of a city poised between nineteenth-century infrastructure and modern urban expansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became one of the most influential mapping institutions in the United States, bringing systematic accuracy to the representation of the nation’s terrain. This map exemplifies the Survey’s mature cartographic style: roads, railways, water features, settlement patterns, and elevation are presented in a disciplined visual hierarchy. Contour lines articulate the changing landforms around Erie, distinguishing the flatter developed areas near the lakefront from the more rolling country inland. Such details made USGS maps essential tools for engineers, planners, geologists, and travelers, but they also now serve as historical documents, preserving the spatial logic of a particular region at a precise moment in time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eErie itself is shown with a striking urban grid, a visual expression of planned growth along the southern shore of Lake Erie. The city’s streets, residential blocks, and transportation corridors reveal how closely its development was tied to the harbor and to regional movement by road and rail. Presque Isle Bay, protected by the curving landform of Presque Isle, dominates the city’s geography and explains much of its economic importance. Before widespread automobile-era expansion transformed the surrounding landscape, Erie’s built environment remained concentrated and legible, with railways and roads stitching together the waterfront, neighborhoods, and nearby communities. The map records this balance between compact urban order and open surrounding countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond Erie, the map extends into the surrounding towns and rural districts, including Fairview, McKean, and Summit. These places appear within a landscape of roads, rail lines, drainage patterns, and gently varying elevations, offering a nuanced view of the region’s early twentieth-century settlement. The topography is especially revealing: the land rises away from the lakeshore, and the contouring conveys the transition from low, flat urban and harbor areas to hillier inland terrain. This interplay of elevation and infrastructure illustrates how geography influenced routes, settlement, and land use. The result is not merely a city map, but a regional portrait of commerce, agriculture, movement, and environmental form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Erie” captures the Great Lakes city before later waves of suburbanization, highway construction, and industrial redevelopment altered its surroundings. It shows a landscape still organized around railroads, harbor access, traditional road networks, and a compact urban core. The map’s careful depiction of Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay, and the surrounding uplands gives modern viewers a vivid sense of how natural geography shaped Erie’s destiny. Its clean USGS design combines scientific authority with quiet visual beauty, making it a compelling record of place, infrastructure, and ambition. For collectors, it offers an evocative glimpse of Pennsylvania’s lakefront at a pivotal moment in its modern history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eErie, Pennsylvania\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Erie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePresque Isle Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFairview\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcKean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSummit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoads and railways connecting the surrounding locations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResidential areas shown in the urban layout around Erie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), using survey data from 1900 and published in 1906\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS was established in 1879 and became a major authority in geological research and topographic mapping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eErie, Pennsylvania is shown as an important shipping and trade center on the Great Lakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures a clear, systematic layout typical of USGS cartography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses contour lines to show elevation changes, including hilly terrain and flatter urban areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmploys a contrasting color palette to distinguish land and water features\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the Erie area before significant urban expansion and development\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides insight into early 20th-century land use, transportation routes, and spatial organization around the Great Lakes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows Erie’s distinct grid layout and period urban planning patterns\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith 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 \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58815680708992,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58815680741760,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58815680774528,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58815680807296,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58815680840064,"sku":null,"price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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