1975 Map of Becket

About this map

The Westfield River carves a deep path through this Berkshire County landscape, where the settlements of Becket and Bancroft follow the valley floor. This 1975 orthophoto reveals the heavy forest cover of the region, punctuated by high-altitude clearings and smaller hamlets such as Becket Center and Bonny Rigg Corners. Unlike standard line maps, this photographic study shows the exact texture of the woodland and the precise footprints of rural homesteads in Middlefield and Washington during the mid-1970s. The concentration of development around the river and rail corridors contrasts sharply with the vast, undeveloped timberlands on the surrounding ridges, providing a clear record of rural land use and the persistent influence of the river on local settlement patterns.