Loading map...

1948 Map of Great Barrington

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Great Barrington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Great Barrington serves as the focal point of this Berkshire County landscape, where the Housatonic River snakes through a valley defined by the dramatic rises of Monument Mountain and East Mountain. The late 1940s settlement pattern is clearly visible, with distinct clusters at Van Duesenville and Risingdale linked by the New York New Haven and Hartford railroad line. Local education and community life are marked by rural outposts like the Altaraz School and Corashire Sch, while the presence of a Fish Hatchery near Hartsville and a Lime Kiln suggest the area's varied mid-century land use.

The Appalachian Trail traverses the high ground of Beartown Mountain, crossing through the Beartown State Forest. The map captures a transition between the industrial echoes of the valley floor and the recreational character of Lake Buel and Benedict Pond. Numerous family-named landmarks and small cemeteries, such as Elmwood Cem and Corashire Cem, provide essential data for those tracing the genealogical footprint of southern Berkshire.