1886 Map of Chesterfield

About this map

Worthington Corners and Chester Center anchor a landscape defined by the steep valleys of the Hampshire Hills in the late nineteenth century. The Westfield River and its Middle Branch carve deep paths through the terrain, dictating the placement of early industry and transport. Local industrial activity is evidenced by Bisbee Mill in Chesterfield, while the southern portion of the map shows the critical infrastructure of the Boston and Albany railroad corridor. Unique naming conventions of the era appear in the street-based settlements like Ireland Street and Shack Street. This survey shows the region before the creation of modern flood control reservoirs, preserving the original courses of the Little River and North Brook as they flowed through small hillside hamlets like Knightville and Littleville.