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1925 Map of Holderness

Name: 1925 Topographic Map of Holderness
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Pemigewasset River carves through this central New Hampshire landscape, serving as a geographic anchor for the intersecting boundaries of Grafton, Belknap, and Merrimack counties. This mid-1920s survey documents a region defined by its significant water bodies, from the expansive Squam Lake with its numerous islands like Drakes Island and Kimble Island, to the southern reach of Winnisquam Lake. The Boston and Maine Railroad follows the river valley, connecting the established hubs of Ashland and Holderness to the broader regional economy.

Evidence of a distributed rural society is found in the dense network of small schoolhouses, such as the Plaisted School, Hansford School, and Hunkins School, which served dispersed settlements like Meredith Center and North Sanbornton. Religious life is marked by the Dana Church and the Bay Meeting House, while landmarks like Profile Falls and the numerous named ponds—including Whiteoak Pond and Waukewan Lake—illustrate a landscape where local identity was closely tied to specific terrain and water features.