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1914 Map of Bethel

Name: 1914 Topographic Map of Bethel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1914
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1914

About this map

The Androscoggin River carves through the heart of the Oxford County highlands, serving as a corridor for both nature and industry. In the early twentieth century, the Grand Trunk R R followed the river's northern bank, connecting settlements like West Bethel and Gilead to the wider region. The map reveals a landscape transitioning from the river valleys to the high peaks of Riley and Batchelders Grant.

Small mountain communities and agrarian pockets are evidenced by the network of local schools, including the Mason School, Sunday River School, and Flat School. Local governance and community life are anchored at the Town House near Albany, while the Bethel Cemetery stands near the town center. The presence of numerous ponds, such as Songo Pond and Papoose Pond, highlights the water-rich geography that defined early Maine settlement and industry before the later twentieth-century shifts in land use.