“La Nuova Francia� Giovanni Battista Ramusio Venice, 1556 This map was derived from the cartography of Verrazano, who sailed along the east coast of North America in 1524. Additional information on the map came from the exploration of Jacques Cartier. On his second voyage, from 1535 to 1536, Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River as far as Montreal, where, from Mt. Royal, he was the first European to see the Adirondacks. The Stripe Curving down the right side and around the bottom of the map in the Atlantic Ocean represents either the Grand Banks (prime fishing grounds for cod) or the Gulf Stream.
“A Map of That Part of America Which Was the Principal Seat of War in 1756” Gentleman’s Magazine London, February, 1757 The area west of Lake Champlain is shown as the “Ancient Country of the Iroquois.” The inscription within it suggests that the European mapmakers didn’t think much of the country. Note “Corlears Bay” on Lake Champlain, presumably the place where Arendt VanCorlear died. Corlear (a.k.a. Curler) founded Schenectady in 1662. The creases show where the map was folded in order to be tipped into the magazine.
“A New and Accurate Map of the Present War in North America” Universal Magazine, London May 1757 The river systems are better depicted on this map than on earlier maps. Still, note the mapmaker’s explanation for the sparse detail in the Adirondacks. Also note the locations of the camps of General Sir William Johnson and the French at the Battle of Lake George, which occurred on September 8, 1775.
“Cartes des Troubles de l’Amerique” Le Rouge, Paris 1778 During the Revolution there was an active trade in maps between London and Paris. As soon as a good British map was published it was copied in Paris and sold to the American colonies. Thus the Americans had good British maps about the same time the British officers in America received them. This is one of those maps. A slice of the Adirondack area shows rivers, streams, and lakes along with the Lake Champlain and Lake George invasion routes as well as roads.
“A New and General Map of the Middle Dominions Belonging to the United States of America� Laurie and Whittle, London 1794 Roads, towns, and mineral resources of the new Republic, as well as better knowledge of its geography, are evident in this map. Note, however, that while there is plenty of detail in western New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio, the Adirondacks are still shown as an empty area. The region was being bypassed in favor of areas where it was easier to settle, grow crops, explore, and transport goods to market.
“ A Survey of Lake Champlain Including Lake George and Crown Point and St. John” William Brassier, Surveyor, 1762 Printed by Sayer and Bennett London, 1777 At the conclusion of the French and Indian War, the British commissioned William Brassier to survey and map Lake Champlain and Lake George. Upon completion, the map remained in manuscript form until 1776 when the needs of the British army caused it to be printed. The map shows a lot of detail; the two lakes formed a major transportation route. Control of this waterway, a short road to the Hudson, and the Hudson itself would enable Britain to cut the colonies in two. This map and several others became part of the “Holster Atlas” which British officers carried in their saddlebags. This example is the “second state” of the map printed in 1777. It shows the Battle of Valcour Island (1776), in which the tiny American navy under Benedict Arnold stopped the British southward advance. Only the periphery of the Adirondacks is shown.
“Parts of the Counties of Charlotte and Albany in the Province of New York” London Magazine, 1778 War was one of the main reasons for creating maps. Troops in the field used them, and they also accompanied news articles. While the French, British, and American armies moved around the periphery of the Adirondacks, there was no strategic reason to explore and map the interior. This map, published for the monthly London Magazine, describes the Adirondacks north of “Scaron” (Schroon) Lake as “Wilderness Lands.”
“Hydrographic Survey of 1906, Fourteen Mile Island to Black Mountain Point” Seneca Ray Stoddard, 1906 This is one sheet of a five sheet map of Lake George by guidebook writer and photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard. It shows some of the Tongue Mountain Range as well as Lake George depths, islands, dangerous rocks, and reefs.
“Map of the Adirondack Wilderness” Seneca Ray Stoddard, Engraved and Printed by Louis E. Newman and Co. Sixteenth (Revised) Edition 1893 Stoddard’s Adirondack maps were printed from 1874 to 1914. They were folded into small books which protected them for future generations to collect and enjoy. The Adirondack and St. Lawrence was completed in 1892, providing access to the interior of the Adirondacks. This made possible expanded logging operations in the western Adirondacks. Additionally, tourist access was greatly improved. This allowed Stoddard to publish and sell more maps and other books. The detail on the maps was sufficient for hikers and boaters. The rounded border of the map was presumably for decorative reasons.
“Map of the Railroads of New York State” Railroad Commissioners, Drawn by David Vaughan Albany, New York, 1856 Investors and businesses used this map to exploit natural resources in the Adirondacks, including timber. Note the railroad line shown in red traversing the Adirondacks from Saratoga to Saketts Harbor. It is labeled as being “in progress.” In fact, it was never completed, probably because of significant mountains in its path.
“Land Forms and Bedrock Geology of New York State� New York State Museum and Science Service Albany, New York, 1973 This colorful map shows the underlying geology of the State. Notice the widely varied bedrock of the Adirondack Region. The Adirondack region contains rich resources of timber, iron, garnets, and other minerals. As entrepreneurs became interested in these resources, they demanded specialized maps to help exploit them. In the twenty-first century scientists have continued to create this sort of map to help study the region both to manage the resources and for the advancement of science.
“Adirondack Survey Sketch Showing the Progress of the Primary Triangulation” Verplanck Colvin 1872-1873 Colvin began his primary triangulation from two known points on Lake Champlain, Crown Point Lighthouse and Barber’s Point Lighthouse (Westport), which had been surveyed by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Signaling a field assistant at Bald Peak in Elizabethtown from each of the sites and gathering information allowed Colvin to draw his first triangle.
“Adirondack Survey Sketch Preliminary Reconnaissance Sketch� Verplanck Colvin 1873 Verplanck Colvin (1847-1920) was the first person to systematically and scientifically map the Adirondacks. In 1872, the State of New York charged Colvin with the task of producing a complete topographical land survey of the region. For the next twenty-eight years, he spent all but the seasons of deepest snow in the mountains becoming a fervent advocate of protecting the region.
“Lake Pleasant, Formerly Sageville� Verplanck Colvin 1897 Although he was charged by the State of New York with the larger task of surveying the region, Verplanck Colvin was often directed to resolve specific surveyinginconsistencies creating uncertainty regarding State land ownership. The prosecution of illegal timber harvesting from State lands necessitated creating more accurate maps. His reports document constant battles, not only with the harsh elements of Adirondack weather and heavy delicate equipment, but also with the bureaucracy in Albany.
“Mt. Marcy, New York” United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey 1902/1940 USGS topographic maps have been used by campers and hikers for over 100 years. Although some of their usefulness has been replaced by GPS devices, the maps still provide excellent data and their batteries don’t run down. This map was well used and loved by Kay Flickinger Dockstader of Galway, NY, a member of the Adirondack Mountain Club and a 46er (someone who has climbed all 46 peaks in the region with an altitude over 4,000 feet). Her personal hand-written notes record her explorations of the region.
“Adirondack Canoe Routes” Conservation Department, State of New York 1950 This was a “must have” map for Adirondack canoeing. Following the map one could (and still can) canoe from Old Forge to Saranac Lake and Paul Smiths with only short carries. The curator of this exhibit canoed many of the routes shown on this map during the 1960s.
“Explore the Adirondacks� The Rand McNally Company or the New York State Department of Commerce circa 1960 Many promotional pamphlets had maps. They are fun to read since they document styles of clothing and cars, advertising copy, and popular forms of recreation as well as roads and geography.
“Mundell’s Interstate Bird’s Eye View Map with Business Directory” Fall, 1989 Free maps have been available for years. They are designed to support the areas shown and are meant to advertise local businesses as much as give directions. The maps are not drawn to scale and are designed to place locations in general relationships to each other.
“Snowmobile Map” The Adirondack Regional Tourism Council “I Love New York” Campaign In recent years, Adirondack towns and counties have promoted snowmobiling as a source of tourism revenue. This map shows routes that allow snowmobile enthusiasts to travel many miles from town to town.
“Whiteface Ski Trail Map� Olympic Regional Development Authority 2017 Whiteface Mountain is consistently ranked one of the best ski resorts in the Northeast. It currently offers 88 trails and 22 miles of ski terrain. The highest lift carries skiers to an elevation of 4,386 feet. The mountain is perhaps best-known as the venue for the 1980 Olympic Alpine ski events.
“Map of the Adirondack Mountains and the St. Lawrence Reservation” Conservation Department of the State of New York 1927 Motivated by the need to preserve forests and the watersheds they protected as well as an interest in protecting the Adirondack wild lands as a “pleasure ground” for the public, the New York State Legislature created the Adirondack Park in 1892. Lawmakers indicated the extent of the Park by drawing a line in blue ink on the map of the state. Ever since, regardless of the colors in which it is depicted on maps, “Blue Line” has become shorthand for the Adirondack Park.
“Map of the Adirondack Mountains and the St. Lawrence Reservation” Conservation Department of the State of New York 1931 According to the 1890 Forest Commission Report, the boundaries of the Adirondack Park were established to include all lands “desirable and suitable” for the purposes of the Park. They were laid out so they could be easily found by men familiar with the woods and without further surveying. The line was meant to guide future State land purchases, but the Park has grown beyond these boundaries since then. The original 2,807,760 acres has grown to approximately 6 million acres.