1897 Map of Sandisfield

About this map

Otis Reservoir and the headwaters of the Farmington River dominate this late 19th-century survey of the Berkshire highlands. The landscape is defined by a dense network of hill-country settlements like Sandisfield, New Boston, and Montville, which were established along the Clam River and Buck River. This era shows the region before modern reforestation, where family-named peaks such as Kingsbury Mt and Morley Hill stood over a mosaic of small farms and local roads. The map captures the vital water power economy of the day, with numerous ponds like Lake Garfield and Benton Lake supporting early industry. Southward across the Massachusetts Connecticut line, the terrain continues into the Litchfield hills, featuring North Colebrook and the secluded Doolittle Pond. It is a detailed portrait of a rural New England community at its post-Civil War peak of development.