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1943 Map of Belchertown

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Belchertown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The town of Belchertown serves as the focal point for this early 1940s landscape, where two significant rail lines—the Boston and Maine and the Central Vermont—intersect amidst a complex network of ponds and wetlands. The map captures a high density of institutional and local landmarks, including the St Hyacinths Seminary and the State School. This era shows a community defined by its water resources and small outlying junctions like Dwight, Meads Corner, and Knights Corner.

Natural features such as Lawrence Swamp and the chain of water bodies including Metacomet Lake, Arcadia Lake, and Lake Holland dominate the central corridor. For those researching local history or genealogy, the placement of the Dwight Cem, Munsel Cem, and Lake Vale Cem provides precise locations for family heritage sites. The terrain is marked by notable heights like Mt Lincoln and Junket Hill, which overlook the diverse brook systems and local thoroughfares like Bay Road and Metacomet Road.