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1941 Map of New Bedford North

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of New Bedford North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

New Bedford and the maritime hub of New Bedford Harbor dominate this 1941 survey, showing the city's transition from its legendary whaling era to a mid-century urban center. The industrial and cultural importance of the waterfront is highlighted by the Whaling Museum, State Pier, and the coastal defenses at Fort Phoenix. Inland, the landscape reveals a mosaic of dense city grids and extensive wetlands like Apponagansett Swamp and Acushnet Swamp, which constrained expansion and shaped the local transportation network.

The New York New Haven and Hartford RR provides a critical rail link through Acushnet Sta, connecting smaller settlements like Clifford and Braleys to the harbor. Cultural and community markers are numerous, ranging from the Evergreen Racetrack in the west to the Mendall Hill Fire Tower in the east. This survey captures a moment when traditional maritime identity coexisted with modern infrastructure, including Sassaquin Hospital and multiple local schools like Dartmouth High School.