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1931 Map of Portage

Name: 1931 Topographic Map of Portage
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1931
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1931

About this map

Portage and the surrounding unorganized townships of north-central Aroostook County reflect a landscape defined by the timber industry and wilderness transit during the late 1920s. The Bangor and Aroostook railroad cuts through the western terrain, serving the settlement of Buffalo and the logging outposts that dotted the interior. This survey captures a specific industrial transition, marking the site of the Old Shingle Mill and the Old Chain Bridge, relics of early forest extraction methods.

Further inland, the map identifies numerous specific wilderness camps including Sands Camp, Holmquist Camp, and Norbeck Camp, which served as bases for hunters and woodsmen. High points like Pennington Mountain with its Fire Tower overlook a complex network of waterways, from the Madawaska River to the Little Madawaska River, which were essential for moving timber before the proliferation of more permanent roads.