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1943 Map of Big Lake

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

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Big Lake and its intricate network of islands and bays dominate this 1941 survey of Washington County, reflecting a landscape defined by timber and water. The town of Princeton serves as the regional hub at the convergence of Grand Lake and the lake's eastern reaches, connected by the Maine Central railroad line. To the south, the terrain rises toward Pocamooshine Mountain, where a Fire Tower once stood as a sentinel over the surrounding forests.

Evidence of early 20th-century seasonal and rural life is scattered across the shoreline, from the Big Lake Camp Ground near West Princeton to the remote Dixie School. The map captures the geography of a working forest and recreational frontier before modern development, identifying numerous family-named landmarks like Yates Point and Governors Point, alongside traditional access points such as Red Beach Landing.