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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 industrial and educational landscape of Lowell is anchored by the Merrimack River, where the Pawtucket Dam and Pawtucket Falls reflect the city's legacy of water-powered industry. Post-war development is evident across the city, from the dense residential wards of the Highlands and Belvidere to institutional landmarks like the Lowell Textile Institute and the State Teachers College. The Boston and Maine Railroad serves as a primary transit spine, connecting the city to surrounding townships.

To the north and east, the character of the land shifts toward the agrarian and residential outskirts of Dracut and Pelham. Here, the terrain is dotted with family-named landmarks and old burial grounds, including the New Boston Cem and Atwood Cem. Small-scale industry and natural resources remain part of the map's fabric, as seen at the Nickel Mine and the Clay Pit, providing a detailed look at the region before late-century suburbanization altered these rural fringes.