{"product_id":"map-of-otisco-lake-new-york-by-usgs-1986-auburn-owasco-lake-skaneateles","title":"Map of Otisco Lake, New York by USGS, 1986 – Auburn, Owasco Lake \u0026 Skaneateles","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1993 using data compiled in 1986, the USGS map titled “Auburn” presents a finely measured portrait of central New York at the 1:100,000 scale. Its focus falls on the northern Finger Lakes landscape around Auburn, where Owasco Lake and Otisco Lake shape the geography, settlement patterns, and routes of travel. The map belongs to the United States Geological Survey’s long tradition of practical, scientifically grounded cartography, combining topography, hydrography, transportation, and place names into a lucid regional survey. Contour lines reveal a terrain of ridges, valleys, and uplands, while roads, railroads, towns, and waterways are organized with the clarity that made USGS maps essential tools for planners, travelers, geologists, and outdoor enthusiasts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe landscape shown here is unmistakably that of the Finger Lakes region, where glacial forces carved long, narrow lakes and left behind a terrain of rolling hills, steep-sided valleys, and complex drainage systems. Owasco Lake dominates the eastern portion of the map’s lake country, extending southward from Auburn, while Otisco Lake lies farther west near Marcellus and Spafford. Cayuga Lake appears at the map’s western edge, reinforcing the sense of a broader lacustrine system. The contouring captures the rise of surrounding hills and the descent toward lake basins, allowing the viewer to read the landscape almost three-dimensionally. These details speak to both natural history and human adaptation, as communities, roads, and farms occupy the more negotiable spaces between water and ridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuburn anchors the map historically and geographically, a city long associated with industry, reform, and transport in central New York. Around it appear towns and villages including Skaneateles, Marcellus, Moravia, Tully, Elbridge, Springport, Spafford, Portland, and Sycamore, each set within a matrix of roads, waterways, and rural terrain. Route 20, one of the great east-west highways of the region, is particularly significant, tracing a corridor that helped bind inland New York communities together. Route 38 and numerous smaller roads further articulate the settlement pattern, showing how local movement followed valley floors, lake margins, and ridgelines. The rail lines add another historical layer, recalling the region’s industrial and agricultural connections beyond the Finger Lakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cartographic style is disciplined and information-rich, characteristic of late twentieth-century USGS topographical mapping. Elevation is conveyed through carefully spaced contour lines, while hydrographic features—lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, and drainage channels—stand out as organizing elements in the terrain. The Seneca River and associated waterways connect the map to the larger hydrological and commercial networks of upstate New York, including the historic canal landscape that transformed regional trade. State forests and wooded uplands add ecological depth, marking areas where the topography resists dense settlement or has been conserved for timber, recreation, and habitat. The result is a map that is not merely locational, but environmental, showing the interplay of landform, water, infrastructure, and human use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a document of the 1980s landscape, the “Auburn” map captures a moment in the continuing evolution of central New York’s rural and small-city geography. Its data reflect roads, railroads, forests, lakeshores, and settlements as they stood before later decades of development, conservation, and infrastructural change. For collectors, it offers a compelling view of a region where geology remains visibly present in everyday life: towns hug valleys, highways bend around hills, and lakes define both local identity and movement. For historians of mapping, it demonstrates the USGS commitment to standardized yet elegant survey work. For admirers of the Finger Lakes, it is a richly layered portrait of water, elevation, and community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuburn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSkaneateles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarcellus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMoravia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSycamore\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTully\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePortland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOwasco Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOtisco Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeneca River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCayuga Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpafford\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElbridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpringport\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 20\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 38\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailroad tracks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eState forests\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby hills and valleys\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:100,000 topographical map.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBased on data from 1986 and published in 1993.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetails Otisco Lake, Owasco Lake, and the surrounding area in New York.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows elevation changes, hydrography, infrastructure, and terrain using contour lines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDepicts the hilly topography characteristic of the Finger Lakes region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects geological and ecological landscape characteristics influenced by both natural and human factors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS is an important American mapping agency, providing geological and geographic data for scientific, environmental, and developmental use.\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 36x24in (90x60cm) 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":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126227988871,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228021639,"sku":null,"price":144.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228054407,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"14x24in (36x60cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228087175,"sku":null,"price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"14x24in (36x60cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228119943,"sku":null,"price":219.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"14x24in (36x60cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228152711,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228185479,"sku":null,"price":121.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228218247,"sku":null,"price":328.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36in (60x90cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228251015,"sku":null,"price":369.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x45in (70x114cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228283783,"sku":null,"price":158.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x45in (70x114cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228316551,"sku":null,"price":642.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x45in (70x114cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228349319,"sku":null,"price":642.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"31x50in (79x127cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228382087,"sku":null,"price":287.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"31x50in (79x127cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228414855,"sku":null,"price":1195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"31x50in (79x127cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228447623,"sku":null,"price":1031.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"33x60in (84x150cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228480391,"sku":null,"price":383.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"33x60in (84x150cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228513159,"sku":null,"price":1912.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"33x60in (84x150cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228545927,"sku":null,"price":1775.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"44x70in (112x178cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68126228578695,"sku":null,"price":629.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"44x70in (112x178cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68126228611463,"sku":null,"price":2561.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"44x70in (112x178cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68126228644231,"sku":null,"price":2390.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_7e101310-bd38-40f7-8632-123c162f16be.jpg?v=1793872801","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.com\/products\/map-of-otisco-lake-new-york-by-usgs-1986-auburn-owasco-lake-skaneateles","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}