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1948 Map of North Adams

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of North Adams
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The Hoosac Tunnel serves as a defining engineering feature of this 1940s landscape, passing deep beneath the mountain range to connect the Hoosic River valley with the eastern territories. Industrial and residential centers like North Adams, Adams, and Zylonite are shown at a peak of rail-dependent development along the Boston and Maine railroad corridor. The surrounding hillsides are dotted with rural markers, from the Bishop Sch in the north to the Phillips Ch and Southview Cem near the urban center.

Local landmarks such as the Natural Bridge and the high vantage of Whitcomb Summit on the Mohawk Trail illustrate the area's transition into a destination for early automotive tourism. Genealogists can trace family plots in the Burnett Cem or the New State Cem, while the inclusion of the Central Shaft and West Shaft provides a rare look at the infrastructure required to maintain the great tunnel through the granite of the Green Mountain range.