Loading map...

1990 Map of Ashfield

Name: 1990 Topographic Map of Ashfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

Ashfield and Plainfield serve as the primary hubs in this upland landscape of Franklin County, where the terrain is defined by numerous peaks such as Mt Owen and Peter Hill. The map reveals a deeply rooted rural infrastructure of small settlements like South Hawley, Watson, and Beldingville, connected by a network of winding roads. Many of these locations are adjacent to early burial grounds, including the Spruce Corner Cem and Pudding Hollow Cem, which provide significant points of interest for genealogists tracing family names in the area.

Conservation areas dominate the northern and western reaches, specifically the Mohawk Trail State Forest and the Kenneth M Dubuque Memorial State Forest. The drainage patterns of the Chickley River and Clesson Brook illustrate how the environment dictated the placement of historic roads and homesteads. Local education is centered at Sanderson Academy, while the presence of Ashfield Pond and several smaller bodies like Windsor Pond underscores the importance of water resources in this transition between the Berkshire and Hampshire county borders.