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1896 Map of Sebago

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Sebago
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1896
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1896

About this map

Sebago Lake dominates this landscape in the late nineteenth century, serving as a vital nexus for both transportation and industry. The presence of the Steamboat Route crossing the open waters toward Naples and Long Lake illustrates a period when waterborne travel was essential for moving people and goods through the interior. At the lake's northern edge, the Songo Lock and the winding Songo River connect different elevations of the waterway, while the Crooked River feeds into the basin from the northeast.

Industry and settlement cluster around these water sources, seen in the milling operations at Cooks Mills and Perley Mills. To the south, the Maine Central R. R. follows the path of the Saco River, passing through the village of Steep Falls. This rail link, designated as the White Mountains Line, provided the land-based counterpart to the lake's steamer traffic, anchoring towns like East Baldwin and Richville into the regional economy. High points like Douglas Hill and Tiger Hill overlook a network of smaller bodies of water, including Peabody Pond and Trickey Pond.