Loading map...

1944 Map of Newburyport West

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Newburyport West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The Merrimack River serves as the central artery for this 1944 portrait of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire borderlands, where industrial centers and rural hills meet. The map reveals the dense street grids of Amesbury and Newburyport during the Second World War, showing the proximity of the Boston and Maine Railroad to the waterfront. Between these hubs, the landscape is defined by family-named landmarks like Whittier Hill and Crane Neck Hill, reflecting the area's deep colonial and agricultural roots.

Downstream, Salisbury Point and the village of Merrimacport anchor the riverbanks, while the southern reaches transition into the rolling terrain of West Newbury and the outlying hamlet of Byfield. Researchers can identify numerous local institutions of the era, from the Anna Jaques Hospital to religious centers like the St Joseph Sem. The detailed topography captures the drainage of the Artichoke River and Little River, illustrating how the region's geography dictated its early settlement patterns and subsequent expansion.