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1940 Map of Bridgewater

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Bridgewater
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Taunton River and its major tributary, the Nemasket River, define the agricultural and institutional character of this Plymouth County landscape. At the center of the sheet, the massive State Farm complex and the Lakeville State Sanitorium indicate the region's historical role in hosting large-scale state facilities. The convergence of the New York New Haven and Hartford railroad lines in Middleboro underscores the town's importance as a regional transportation hub, while the surrounding area is dominated by specialized horticulture, visible in the extensive networks of Cranberry Bogs, Osburn Bog, and Fish Bogs.

Local life is anchored by traditional village centers such as The Green and North Middleboro, with numerous rural institutions including the Thompsonville Sch and Pleasant Street Sch. Genealogists will find significant value in the detailed plotting of burial grounds like Nemasket Hill Cem and Purchase Cem. From the Fair Grounds in Bridgewater to the wooded reaches of Meetinghouse Swamp, the map documents a transition between early industrial town centers and an economy deeply tied to the wetlands of the Great Cedar Swamp.