1955 Map of Goshen

About this map

The hill country of western Massachusetts is documented here during the mid-1950s, centering on the village of Goshen. This survey highlights a landscape of high-altitude water bodies and significant topographical relief, defined by features like Highland Lakes and the sprawling Daughters of the American Revolution State Forest. To the south, the settlement of Chesterfield sits above the steep slopes of Bagg Ledges, overlooking the West Branch Westfield River. The map captures a moment when the region's agricultural past was increasingly giving way to recreational and conservation land use, as seen by the presence of Camp Howe and numerous protected forest tracts. Local history researchers will find clear markers of early settlement, including Lithia and the Goshen Cem, alongside a complex network of backroads such as Stage Road and Petticoat Hill Road that follow the natural contours of the Berkshire foothills.