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1977 Map of Concord

Name: 1977 Topographic Map of Concord
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The confluence of the Assabet River and the Sudbury River forms the headwaters of the Concord River, defining the western edge of this 1977 orthophotoquad. This aerial perspective, captured just after the mid-century suburban expansion, provides a photographic record of the landscape surrounding Concord and Lexington. The map reveals the intricate patterns of residential growth and preserved open space typical of these Middlesex County communities during the late 1970s.

Key infrastructure, such as the large airfield near West Bedford and the expansive Cambridge Reservoir to the southeast, contrasts with the older settlement cores of Lincoln and Silver Hill. By using rectified aerial photography instead of traditional topographic lines, the map captures the exact footprint of industrial sites in Waltham and the dense forest cover that characterizes the region's river corridors, offering a literal view of land use during this era.