1944 Map of Hancock

About this map

Brodie Mountain and the steep ridges of the Taconic range dominate this 1944 survey of the borderlands between Rensselaer County, New York, and Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The landscape is defined by deep hollows and narrow valleys where small settlements like North Hancock and Hancock follow the winding course of Kinderhook Creek. To the west, Stephentown and North Stephentown sit in a broader valley shaped by Rutland Brook and East Brook. The map reveals a mid-century rural infrastructure of mountain roads and scattered education centers, including the Gorton Sch and Balance Rock Sch. Many of the high summits are marked by landmarks like the Fire Tower atop Brodie Mountain or the distinctive Balance Rock near the Lanesborough line. This era captures the region's transition, showing established family-named landmarks such as Widow Whites Peak and Bentley Hollow alongside the clearings of Pease Ridge.