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1953 Map of Leicester

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Leicester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The industrial and rural character of Worcester County is captured during the mid-century expansion of the American highway system. The newly added Massachusetts Turnpike cuts a bold path through Charlton and Oxford, signaling a shift in transportation patterns away from the older Boston and Albany RR line that serves Spencer and Cherry Valley. This 1953 revision shows a landscape dotted with textile mill history, evident in the numerous mill ponds like Rochdale Ponds and Burncoat Pond that once powered local industry.

Local landmarks such as the Masonic Home and its accompanying Masonic Home Cem highlight established community centers, while the Spencer State Forest and Stiles Reservoir dominate the western terrain. Genealogists will find interest in the distinct village clusters of Charlton City, Rochdale, and North Oxford, as well as the family-named hilltops like Ballard Hill and Denny Hill that define the regional topography.