1897 Map of Becket

About this map

Hinsdale and Washington anchor this late 19th-century survey of the central Berkshire highlands, where the Boston and Albany railroad threads through narrow mountain gaps alongside the upper Housatonic River. The map documents a landscape defined by water power and transit, from the industrial site at Lenox Furnace to the high-elevation reservoirs like Ashley Lake and Plunkett Reservoir. These water bodies, along with Goose Pond and Center Pond, hint at the area's dual identity as a source for municipal water and early recreational retreat.