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1953 Map of Hope Valley

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Hope Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Wood River and its tributaries shape this mid-century landscape, flowing through concentrated industrial and residential hubs at Hope Valley and Wyoming. These villages served as the primary commercial centers for the surrounding timberlands and hills of the Arcadia Reservation. The map details a transition from dense village life to the protected woodlands of the interior, where names like Moonshine Swamp and Frying Pan Pond suggest the localized character of the terrain.

Infrastructure in the early 1950s is defined by the Nooseneck Hill Road corridor and the New London Turnpike, which cut through the hills near Tefft Hill and Bald Hill. Evidence of earlier rural life remains visible through the scatter of cemeteries, such as the Barber Cem, and small rural institutions like the West Exeter Ch and Richmond Sch. The presence of the Fish Hatchery near Browning Mill Pond further underscores the management of these vital Rhode Island watersheds during this era.