1887 Map of Barre

About this map

The Ware River corridor serves as the industrial and transportation backbone of this central Massachusetts landscape, following a southwest course through Barre Plains and Gilbertville. The Boston and Albany Railroad and the Boston & Maine R.R. Central Mass. Div. define the era's commerce, with vital hubs at Hardwick Sta. and the junction at Cold Brook Springs. While larger settlements like Barre and North Brookfield anchor the townships, the map documents numerous smaller mill and furnace sites including Old Furnace, Parkers Mills, and Smithville. The topography is dominated by family-named heights such as Raccoon Hill and Ragged Hill, which separate the river valleys from expansive water bodies like Pottapaug Pond and Wickaboag Pond. These features illustrate the late 19th-century transition from dispersed upland farming to river-reliant industrial clusters.