1943 Map of Brookfield

About this map

Brookfield and Leonardsville serve as central hubs in this mid-century portrait of a rural landscape defined by the valley of the Unadilla River. The map reveals a tight-knit network of agricultural settlements and family-named landmarks, such as Mount Hunger and Gorton Hill, where local life revolved around small hamlets like South Brookfield and Five Corners. The presence of numerous small burying grounds, including Crumb Cem and Lamb Cem, alongside local education centers like Waterman Sch, offers significant detail for researchers tracing early twentieth-century community structures. A Fairground near Brookfield and industrial or community sites at Button Falls highlight the active local economy before the postwar transition. The drainage of Beaver Creek and Mill Creek through these Madison and Otsego County townships illustrates the traditional reliance on water power and fertile valley bottoms that shaped the region's development.