1893 Map of Palmer

Social and civic institutions are visible in the placement of the State Almshouse and the Springfield Reservoir in the northern hills. Small manufacturing hamlets like Thorndike, Bondsville, and Ellis Mills dot the riverbanks, while the southern portion of the map shows the rural character of Hampden and Wilbraham near the Massachusetts-Connecticut boundary line. These detailed records of early topography illustrate the transition from agrarian life to the height of the New England textile and rail era.