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1891 Map of Sheffield

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Sheffield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1891
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1891

About this map

Great Barrington and Sheffield anchor this late-19th-century study of the Berkshire region, where the Housatonic River and the Housatonic Railroad dictate the industrial and settlement patterns of the valley. The map reveals a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes, from the alluvial plains of Egremont Plain to the heights of Mount Everett and Monument Mountain. Local commerce and community life are evidenced by the dense cluster of settlements like South Egremont, Ashley Falls, and Van Deusenville.

Genealogists and researchers can trace 1880s infrastructure through landmarks such as Union Church, Chapinville Station, and various smaller hamlets like Hammertown and Sodom. The inclusion of the New York Massachusetts State Line and the Massachusetts Connecticut Boundary Line highlights the intersection of three states, showing how early transit and topography ignored political borders in favor of the river's natural corridor.