Loading map...

1956 Map of Dover

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Dover
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Piscataqua River and Great Bay anchor this 1950s study of the New Hampshire coast, documenting a landscape at the height of its mid-century military and industrial transition. The establishment of Pease Air Force Base dominates the southern reaches, marking a significant shift in land use near Newington and Portsmouth. Farther inland, the academic campus of the University of New Hampshire stands in Durham, while the Boston and Maine Railroad continues to thread through traditional manufacturing and transit centers like Dover, Sawyers, and Salmon Falls.

Local genealogy is well-preserved through numerous family-named landmarks and resting places, such as Packers Falls Cem, Sanders Cem, and James Cem. The map captures the complex hydrography of the region, from the winding Cocheco River to the broad tidal flats of Little Bay. Elements of rural life persist in the small hamlets of Madbury and Stratham, even as the Spaulding Turnpike begins to redefine regional connectivity.