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1893 Map of New London

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of New London
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1899
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1899

About this map

The Thames River serves as the central artery for this late nineteenth-century maritime and industrial landscape, connecting the bustling hub of New London to the interior. Shipyards, fortifications, and early naval infrastructure define the harbor, where the US Naval Station and historic Trumbull stand watch over the entrance to Queens Harbor. The map reveals a complex network of coastal and inland transportation, with the Norwich and Worcester Railroad tracking the riverbank and the Shore Line Division cutting across the rocky inlets of Waterford and East Lyme.

Smaller village economies are evident at Uncasville, Gale Ferry, and Jordan Village, while the surrounding hills like Gungywamp Hill and Oswegatchie Hill suggest a rugged terrain that constrained early settlement to the fertile valleys and protected coves. From the expansive Niantic River to the eastern reaches of Groton, the topography captures the transition from a nineteenth-century agrarian and seafaring society to the industrial era of steam and rail.