1957 Map of Alton

About this map

Lake Winnipesaukee anchors the northwest corner of this New Hampshire landscape, where the town of Alton Bay serves as a gateway to the water. The terrain is defined by the Blue Hill Range and a series of high ridges, including Birch Ridge and New Durham Ridge, which separate the drainage of the Merrymeeting River from the Cocheco River. This mid-century survey captures a network of rural hamlets and crossroads such as Center Strafford and North Barnstead, many linked by the Boston and Maine RR. Educational and community anchors like the Austin Cate Academy and Memorial Sch are clearly marked alongside the Powder Mill Fish Hatchery near Merrymeeting Lake. The map reveals a transition from the lakeside recreation of Alton to the upland farming and forestry of the interior hills.