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1953 Map of Ashaway

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Ashaway
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Pawcatuck River carves a winding path along the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island, defining the industrial and social landscape of this borderland. The twin settlements of Westerly and Pawcatuck dominate the southern portion of the sheet, where the Penn Central railroad tracks cut through the dense urban core near Stillmanville. Further north, smaller mill villages like Potter Hill and Clarks Falls appear along the waterways, their placement dictated by the hydropower of the Ashaway River and Green Fall River.

Genealogists will find a wealth of specific local landmarks, from the Ward High Sch to numerous burial grounds including Oak Grove Cem and St Michael Cem. The transition from the developed valley floors to the high ground of Champlin Hill and Brightman Hill illustrates the traditional New England pattern of concentrated valley industry surrounded by timberlands, much of which is preserved in the Pachaug State Forest.