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1940 Map of Scituate

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Scituate
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The coastal geometry of the South Shore is meticulously detailed here, defined by the four distinctive drumlins known as First Cliff, Second Cliff, Third Cliff, and Fourth Cliff. These landforms protect Scituate Harbor and the winding marshes of the North River and South River. The landscape in the late 1930s shows a transitional phase of development, with established seaside communities like Shore Acres, Hatherly Beach, and Humarock connected by a network of local roads such as Country Way and Tilden Road.

Rail infrastructure remains a prominent feature of the local geography, even as portions of the New York New Haven and Hartford line are noted as abandoned. The proximity of the Scituate Sta and Marshfield Hills Sta to coastal settlements illustrates how rail access shaped the growth of these Plymouth County towns before the mid-century shift toward automotive transit. Significant local landmarks, including the Union Cem and Scituate Country Club, provide valuable points of reference for genealogists and local historians studying the pre-war settlement patterns of Scituate and Marshfield.