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1987 Map of Franklin

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Franklin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Franklin and its neighboring towns in Norfolk County appear here in the late 1980s, revealing a landscape defined by significant institutional presences and extensive public lands. The map details large facilities like the Wrentham State School, the State Correctional Institute at Norfolk, and the Massachusetts Corr Institute at Walpole. These institutions, alongside Dean Jr College, represent major cornerstones of the local community and economy.

Beyond the civic centers, the terrain is characterized by the intersection of the Charles River and numerous tributaries like Mine Brook, which wind through a mosaic of residential developments and protected woodlands. Large tracts of state-managed land, including the Franklin State Forest and Wrentham State Forest, provide a buffer between the expanding suburban neighborhoods and the industrial corridors marked by the Conrail line. The survey captures the region just as the interstate system and major interchanges were firmly establishing the modern commuting patterns for this Massachusetts-Rhode Island borderland.