Loading map...

1944 Map of Norton

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

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Wheaton College serves as a central anchor for this mid-century landscape, where the academic grounds meet the expanding industrial and institutional corridors of Bristol County. During the early 1940s, the region was defined by a mix of established manufacturing, seen at the Copper Works near Barrowsville, and significant wartime military presence at Camp Miles Standish on the eastern edge. The map captures a detailed hydrographic network including the Norton Reservoir and the winding Canoe River, which historically powered the local mills.

Transportation is dominated by the New York New Haven and Hartford RR, which connects the villages of Chartley and West Mansfield to the broader New England rail system. Researchers can find numerous local landmarks such as Colony State Hospital and St Francis Cem, providing a clear view of the social and physical geography of the area just as suburban growth began to interface with traditional swamp and river lands like the Hemlock Swamp.