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1955 Map of Prudence Island

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Prudence Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Prudence Island sits at the heart of this mid-century survey, flanked by the sprawling naval infrastructure of Rhode Island and the smaller outcrops of Hope Island and Gould Island. The map documents a transitional period in the Newport area, where traditional island settlements like Homestead and Prudence coexist with significant military installations. The U S Naval Reservation at Coddington Cove and Coasters Harbor Island dominates the shoreline north of Newport, illustrating the intense strategic utility of Narragansett Bay during the Cold War.

Further inland on the main island, the landscape is dotted with local schools and landmarks such as the Berkeley Sch, Witherbee Sch, and the historic Whitehall estate. The presence of the New York New Haven and Hartford railroad along the eastern shore at Portsmouth highlights the importance of rail transit for both civilian and industrial needs before the full dominance of the modern highway system. Water management is also prominent, with the Lawton Valley Reservoir and Sisson Pond serving the growing population centers of Middletown and South Portsmouth.