Historic Map - Elmira, NY - 1873

Elmira, N.Y. : 1873 / drawn by H.H. Bailey.

Reproduction panoramic map of Elmira, New York, drawn by Howard Heston Bailey and published by Strobridge & Co. in 1873. Elmira is a city in Chemung County that was incorporated in 1864. Elmira was at the southern end of the Chemung Canal, and later it was linked with Corning through the Junction Canal. Elmira was also a railroad transportation center for New York's Southern Tier with the crossroads of the Erie Railroad and the New York Central.

During the American Civil War, Elmira was the site of Camp Rathbun near Foster's Pond, which was an army training camp and muster point. The camp took up 30 acres and in 1864 the camp's barracks were turned into a prisoner of war camp. Thousands of Confederate soldiers were confined here during the war. Many suffered due to malnutrition, bad sanitary conditions or exposure to severe weather. Barracks here were meant for 5,000, but 10,000 were brought in and made to live in tents on the banks of the cold river. Inmates nicknamed it "Hellmira" and by the end of the war tens of thousands died of dysentery, typhoid, pneumonia and a flooding of the Chemung River. After the war the camp buildings were demolished.

This bird's-eye view map from 1873 shows buildings and clearly labeled street names.

Features references to the following locations:

1. Erie Depot
2. Academy
3. Court House
4. Public Schools
5. Elmira Female College
6. Rathbun House, S. H. Wadsworth, Proprietor
7. Hathaway House, F. Mitchell, Proprietor
8. Delavan House, R. Hunt, Proprietor
9. Frasier House, U. Bartholomew, Proprietor
10. Elmira House, J. Davis, Proprietor
11. Opera House
12. Elmira Noble Manufacturing Co.
13. William M. Jeffers, Planing Mill
14. J. W. Bell, Planing Mill
15. T. Briggs & Co., Brewers
16. Reed & Cooper, Founders
17. Morgan Dyer, Agricultural Foundry
18. Andrews & Buge, Saw Manufacturing Co.
19. J. G. Burritt, Elmira Agricultural Works
20. W. R. Cooper, Elmira Cradle Manufactory
21. Congregational Church
22. First Baptist Church
23. Free Will Baptist Church
24. German Episcopal Church
25. Trinity Episcopal Church
26. Grace Episcopal Church
27. Methodist Church
28. Zion's Methodist Church-Colored
29. Union Methodist Church-Colored
30. Jewish Synagogue
31. Hedding Methodist Church
32. First Presbyterian Church
33. Second Presbyterian Church
34. Catholic Church