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1948 Map of Albany

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Albany
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Industrial centers and natural resources converge across three states on this mid-century Army Map Service compilation. The confluence of the Hudson River and Mohawk River anchors the western portion of the map, highlighting the strategic positions of Schenectady, Albany, and Troy. This era shows the region's heavy reliance on its rail networks, specifically the Boston and Maine and Delaware and Hudson lines, which navigate the high terrain of the Hoosac Range and Adams Mountain.

Water management and forest preservation are prominent features of the landscape. The newly expanded Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts and the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont demonstrate the 1940s-era focus on resource utility. From the peaks of Mt Greylock to the urban density of Springfield and Holyoke, the map captures a transition point between New England's manufacturing corridor and the more agricultural Catskills.