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1898 Map of Keene

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Keene
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

Keene serves as the industrial and transit hub of this late-19th-century landscape, where the Cheshire Br and Monadnock Division railroads converge amidst a network of active river valleys. The topography is defined by the Ashuelot River, which powers settlements from West Swanzey down to Winchester. This era shows a well-established rural economy, where small mill towns and stations like East Putney Sta and South Keene line the tracks.

Beyond the valley floors, the terrain rises sharply into prominent peaks such as Mount Pisgah and Rattlesnake Mountain. The transition from water to wood is evident in features like Spofford Lake, then known for its summer character, and the broad Tenant Swamp north of the city. Notable for local historians is the inclusion of Wares Ferry on the Cheshire River, a critical river crossing point before the widespread expansion of permanent bridges.