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1896 Map of North Conway

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of North Conway
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

North Conway and the upper Saco River valley dominate this landscape at the close of the nineteenth century, showing a region defined by the intersection of early tourism and mountain industry. The transport network of the Boston And Maine R. R. and the Maine Central railroad lines converge near Intervale, facilitating the growth of mountain hamlets like Kearsarge and Lower Bartlett. Geologic landmarks that would become iconic for the region are clearly charted, including the granite faces of Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge overlooking Echo Lake.

Further north, the map details the rugged topography of Jackson and the remote high ground of Bean Purchase. Industrial interest is evident at Redstone, while natural features like Goodrich Falls and the numerous brooks feeding the Ellis River show the hydro-geography that supported local settlement. The map captures the area before the full expansion of the White Mountain National Forest, recording family-named ridges and summits like Humphrey Ledge and Bartlett Mt. as they were known to the surveyors of the 1890s.