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1895 Map of Chesterfield

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Chesterfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The steep topography of the Berkshire foothills dominates this late 19th-century survey, where the Westfield River and its various branches dictate the settlement patterns. Villages like West Chesterfield and Knightville are situated along these vital waterways, which powered the local economy. At the eastern edge of Chesterfield, the presence of Risbee Mill signifies the industrial reliance on the Dead Branch, while the southwestern corner shows the critical transportation corridor of the Boston and Albany railroad following the river valley near Chester.

Smaller hamlets and family-named landmarks such as Ireland Street, Jordansville, and Shack Street are scattered across the uplands, connected by a network of early roads that navigate between peaks like Kidds Lookout and Bryant Mt.. For those tracing family history in Hampshire County, the map provides precise locations for now-quiet locales such as Dayville, White Rock, and Chester Center before modern redevelopment altered the rural landscape.