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1985 Map of Machias

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Machias
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The Maine Central railroad corridor and a complex network of coastal rivers define the Downeast landscape of Washington County in the mid-1980s. From the shire town of Machias, the map traces a jagged shoreline punctuated by Machias Bay and Englishman Bay, where centuries-old fishing and maritime traditions persist in settlements like Jonesport, Beals, and Machiasport. The transition from the rugged Atlantic coast to the inland blueberry barrens and timberlands is marked by expansive features such as The Heath and The Barrens.

Strategic cold-war era infrastructure appears alongside traditional land uses, notably the U.S. Naval Radio Station near Cutler and aviation sites like the Deblois Flight Strip. Significant conservation areas, including Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge, protect the habitat between the St. Croix River and the Narraguagus River. This document preserves the late 20th-century footprint of coastal villages and inland townships before modern shifts in the regional economy.