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1955 Map of Prudence Island

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Prudence Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Narragansett Bay dominates this mid-century portrait of coastal Rhode Island, where the landscape is a patchwork of military installations, agriculture, and expanding residential pockets. Extensive U S Naval Reservation lands occupy significant portions of Prudence Island and the coastline near Melville, while the interior of Middletown and Portsmouth retains a dense network of local schools and churches. Genealogical markers are numerous, from the St Columbas Cemetery to schools like Hutchinson Sch and Oliphant Sch that served these growing townships.

Infrastructure for a post-war era is evident in the presence of the Newport Airpark and the Drive-in Theater near Twomile Corner. The geography of the islands is meticulously detailed, showing the relationship between Conanicut Island and the smaller Hope Island and Dyer Island. This survey captures the region just as the transition from a traditional rail-and-rural economy, anchored by the Portsmouth Sta, gave way to modern suburban and military expansion.