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1951 Map of Bethel

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Bethel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The hills of northern Fairfield County appear in the early 1950s, defined by a landscape of rugged ridges and a growing network of reservoirs. The New York New Haven and Hartford railroad cuts through the center of the sheet, connecting industrial nodes like Georgetown and Branchville. Local landmarks including the Putnam Memorial Camp Grounds and Wooster Mountain State Park highlight the region's preservation of open space amidst the surrounding development.

Rural character is still evident in the numerous small settlements like West Redding and New Redding, where schools such as the New Redding Sch served the local community. Hydrological changes are prominent with the presence of the Saugatuck Reservoir and smaller bodies like Eureka Lake, signaling the region's role in the regional water supply. This survey captures the area just as post-war suburbanization began to reshape the historical townships of Bethel and Redding.