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1947 Map of Providence

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Providence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Providence and the maritime hubs of Narragansett Bay anchor this postwar survey, capturing the region just as mid-century infrastructure began to reshape the Southern New England coast. The map details a heavy military and naval footprint at the height of the Cold War, including the Newport Naval Base, Quonset Point Naval Air Sta, and the sprawling Camp Edwards Military Reservation on the shoulder of Cape Cod. These installations are shown alongside established industrial centers like Fall River and New Bedford.

Beyond the urban centers, the landscape transitions to the islands of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket Island, and Block Island, reached by ferry routes across Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound. The rail network of the NY NH & H RR remains a primary transit artery, connecting coastal settlements before the full dominance of the interstate system. Large protected areas like Myles Standish State Forest and Monomoy Nat Wildlife Refuge illustrate the preserved natural fringes of these busy maritime corridors.