1895 Map of Chesterfield

About this map

The deep valleys of the Westfield River and its branches dictate the settlement patterns of this Hampshire County highland region during the late nineteenth century. Small hill-town centers like Chester Center, Worthington Center, and Goshen are connected by a web of rural roads that navigate around significant elevations such as Gobble Mt and Petticoat Hill. Industrial activity is evident at Risbeys Mill and along the various watercourses, while the Boston and Albany RR skirts the southwestern corner, providing a vital transportation link for the town of Chester. Unusual local identifiers such as Ireland Street, Shack Street, and Lightningville suggest distinct neighborhood clusters or vanished local landmarks. The landscape is dotted with several water bodies including Norwich Pond and Hammond Pond, which served as local resources before the large-scale topographical changes of the twentieth century.