Loading map...

1898 Map of Norridgewock

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Norridgewock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

The Kennebec River and Sandy River converge near the heart of Somerset County in this late 19th-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by water power and rural connectivity. The riverfront village of Norridgewock and its neighbor South Norridgewock anchor the northern reaches, while the southern half of the map is dominated by the expansive waters of Great Pond and North Pond. At Belgrade Mills, the topography suggests the early industrial importance of these interconnected lake systems.

Evidence of historical transport persists in labels like Davis Ferry on the Sandy River, and the Maine Central R. R. cutting through the southeast corner near Messalonskee Lake. The terrain is punctuated by family-named landmarks such as McIntyre Hill and Dodling Hill, which rise between the agricultural settlements of Mercer and Smithfield. These details provide a clear view of central Maine's transition from a river-dependent economy to one increasingly tied to the rail and early recreational lake use.