1894 Map of Newburyport

About this map

Newburyport and the lower Merrimac River dominate this coastal survey, where the maritime and rail infrastructure of late 19th-century New England is on full display. The river mouth is guarded by the Newburyport Light and Range Light, with the expansive Joppa Flats and Plum Island shielding the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean. Inland, the settlement patterns of Amesbury, Exeter, and Salisbury are defined by their proximity to water power and the Boston and Maine Railroad, which connects these industrial hubs. The landscape is dotted with numerous family-named landmarks like Whittier Hill and Moulton Ridge, reflecting generations of local landholding. Along the coastline, Hampton Harbor and the U.S. Life Saving Station near Rye Ledge underscore the area's hazardous seafaring history before modern navigation and flood control altered the marshlands.