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1918 Map of Lawrence

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Lawrence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

The Merrimac River anchors this detailed survey of northeastern Massachusetts, illustrating a landscape defined by industrial centers and an intricate web of rail lines just after the First World War. Lawrence sits at the heart of the region, flanked by the residential and academic character of Andover and North Andover. The map captures the significant presence of the Main Line of Boston and Maine Railroad alongside smaller spurs like the Lowell Br. of Boston & Maine R.R., which connected isolated manufacturing sites and institutions.

Institutional history is well-represented by the Andover Theolog. Sem. and the State Almshouse near Tewksbury Center. Smaller vanished hamlets and specialized stops such as Frye Village, Pattenville, and Machine Shop Sta. provide specific clues for genealogists and local historians tracing the evolution of these mill towns. From the Paper Mills in North Reading to the Powder House on the hill in Methuen, the map documents the infrastructure of the early 20th-century Merrimack Valley.