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1958 Map of Boston

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Boston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Merrimack River valley and the industrial heart of New England define this mid-century portrait of eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Centered on the dense urban core of Boston, the map illustrates a region in transition as postwar suburbanization begins to follow the path of major transit arteries like Mass. 128 and U.S. 1. The coastal defense network is prominent throughout Massachusetts Bay, with numerous installations such as Fort Warren, Fort Independence, and Fort Banks guarding the harbor approaches.

From the textile centers of Lowell and Lawrence to the maritime reaches of Cape Ann and Provincetown, the map details a landscape shaped by water and rail. The extensive networks of the Boston and Maine and New York New Haven and Hartford railroads still dominate the inland transport routes, connecting the coast to industrial hubs like Worcester and Fitchburg. In the west, the Wachusett Reservoir stands as a massive civil engineering landmark, highlighting the infrastructure required to support the growing metropolitan area.