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1946 Map of Franklin

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Franklin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Franklin and the surrounding Norfolk County landscape appear in this mid-century survey as a region defined by industrial centers and rural church crossroads. The New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad cuts a prominent diagonal path through the terrain, anchoring the development of Franklin and Woonsocket. Educational and religious institutions are significant landmarks, including Dean Academy, the St Marys Ch, and the secluded Mt St Marys Convent near the southern border.

The geography transitions from the wetlands of Woodward Swamp to the drainage of the Charles River and Peters River. Small village clusters like Wadsworth, Sheldonville, and Rakeville are clearly mapped, often centered around local landmarks like the Rakeville Cem or the Ballow Meetinghouse. To the west, Lake Hiawatha and Silver Lake provide recreational contrast to the industrial character of nearby Woonsocket, while the Woonsocket Airport indicates the era's infrastructure expansion.