1893 Map of Haverhill

About this map

The Merrimack River serves as the industrial and geographic anchor of this late 19th-century landscape, winding past the developed centers of Haverhill and Bradford. North of the river, the landscape transitions into the rolling hills of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, where a complex network of rail lines once connected a series of tight-knit villages and depots. The Main Line of B & M R.R. and its Merrimac Branch supported local economies in towns like Plaistow, Newton Junction, and Atkinson Depot. Numerous ponds and lakes, including Island Pond, Canobie Lake, and Great Pond, are surrounded by named heights such as Rock Rimmon and Parsonage Hill, reflecting a period when these water bodies and hilltops were central landmarks for local farming and early recreational communities. The map also delineates the New Hampshire Massachusetts Boundary Line, illustrating the historical connectivity between the Merrimack Valley and the New Hampshire interior.