1943 Map of Sandwich

About this map

Sandwich and West Barnstable occupy a landscape defined by the intricate glacial topography of Cape Cod during the mid-1940s. The northern coast is a complex of salt marshes and barrier beaches, notably the Great Marshes and Sandy Neck, while the interior is densely pocketed with kettle ponds like Lawrence Pond, Mystic Lake, and Spectacle Pond. The map reveals the social and industrial fabric of the era, from the Old Quaker Meetinghouse and several small family burial grounds like Tobey Cem, to the State Fish Hatchery and State Game Hatchery. Transportation is centered on the Cape Cod Canal and the routes of the New York and New Haven and Hartford Road. To the southwest, the massive footprint of the Camp Edwards Military Reservation and the Shawme State Forest represent significant land-use shifts of the early 20th century.