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1944 Map of Portland West

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Portland West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Industrial corridors and residential expansion define the landscape west of Portland just as the Second World War concluded. The Maine Central and Grand Trunk railroads anchor the local economy, connecting urban centers like Woodfords and Deering with outlying industrial nodes such as Cumberland Mills. To the south, the Portland Airport and the State Reform School occupy large tracts of land near the winding Long Creek.

The presence of numerous family-named hills, such as Leighton Hill and Lorenzen Hill, suggests a transition from the dense street grids of Back Cove to a more dispersed rural character in Westbrook and Falmouth. Community life is centered around established sites like Evergreen Cemetery and the trolley-era Riverton Park, while water power remains a visible legacy along the Presumpscot River and Stroudwater River.