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1950 Map of Billerica

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Billerica
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Concord River carves a central path through this mid-century landscape, acting as a historical artery for the industrial and social development of eastern Middlesex County. Large institutional footprints define several sections of the map, notably the US Veterans Hospital in the south and the Marist College and Convent near South Billerica. These complexes, alongside the House of Correction and Lowell General Hospital, suggest an era when large-scale public and religious infrastructure anchored the suburban fringe of Lowell.

Transportation patterns are dominated by the Boston and Maine Railroad, which serves established village centers like North Billerica and Billerica. For genealogists, the map is particularly detailed regarding burial grounds, showing a high concentration of sites including St Patrick Cem, St Joseph Cem, and the family-named Fox Hill Cem. The presence of numerous brooks and bogs, such as Cranberry Bog and Tophet Swamp, illustrates the persistent marshy terrain that dictated the placement of roads and settlements.