1973 Map of Peru

About this map

Ashmere Lake and its surrounding recreational clusters, including Camp Taconic, Camp Ashmere, and Camp Danbee, center this study of the Berkshire highlands. The landscape is defined by its transition from the industrial and transport corridor of the Housatonic River and the Penn Central railroad in the west to the protected timberlands of Middlefield State Forest and Peru State Forest in the east. Numerous family-named roads like Geo Schnopps Road and Bradshaw Road provide a granular view of rural settlement patterns before modern consolidation. The map preserves the locations of several burial grounds, such as North Cem and South Cem, which are vital for genealogical research in this sparsely populated section of the Berkshires. Water management is a visible priority, evidenced by the Pittsfield Watershed Area and reservoirs that feed the lower valleys.