1897 Map of Sandisfield

About this map

The Farmington River and its West Branch carve through this upland region of the Berkshires, anchoring a network of mill-era settlements at the end of the 19th century. From Tyringham in the north to North Colebrook across the Massachusetts-Connecticut boundary line, the landscape is defined by its water power and high ridges. The expansive Otis Reservoir and Lake Garfield dominate the hydrology of Otis and Monterey, respectively. Local life centers on small villages like Montville, New Boston, and Sandisfield, which are connected by a web of carriage roads winding around significant peaks such as Hunger Mt and Seymour Mt. In the southern reaches, the Colebrook River valley and Doolittle Pond suggest a rugged geography where agriculture and timbering likely shaped the early economy.