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1950 Map of Lowell

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Lowell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Merrimack River serves as the industrial and geographic anchor of this mid-century portrait, winding through a landscape defined by the heavy infrastructure of Lowell. The map detail captures the city’s dense urban grid, including educational and religious institutions such as the Lowell Textile Institute, State Teachers College, and the St Louis Convent. Transport and power systems are clearly defined, from the Boston and Maine RR corridors to the hydraulic works of the Pawtucket Dam and Pawtucket Falls.

Beyond the city core, the terrain shifts into the residential and agricultural fringes of Dracut and Pelham. Here, the land is dotted with family-named burial grounds like Gibson Cem and Atwood Cem, alongside geographic landmarks such as Nickel Mine Hill and Gumpas Pond. This survey reflects an era when the industrial legacy of the Merrimack Valley remained physically dominant even as suburban patterns began to emerge in the surrounding hills.