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1959 Map of Bethel

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Bethel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The New York New Haven and Hartford railroad cuts a vital corridor through Fairfield County on this 1959 revision, connecting the industrial and residential hubs of Bethel, Branchville, and Georgetown. The landscape is a complex mix of protected lands and post-war growth, anchored by Wooster Mountain State Park and Putnam Memorial State Park. These forested ridges, including Moses Mtn and Topstone Mtn, are punctuated by numerous small bodies of water like Waubeeka Lake and Fox Hill Lake, many of which supported summer camps and localized recreation.

Evidence of the area's rural transition is found in the distribution of schoolhouses and cemeteries. Local researchers can identify the sites of the Wooster Sch and Redding Sch, alongside historic burial grounds such as St Marys Cem and Florida Cem. The map also captures the early expansion of the Saugatuck Reservoir system and specialized landmarks like the Danbury Airport and Redding Lookout Tower.