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1897 Map of Sheffield

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Sheffield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1911
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1911

About this map

Great Barrington and the surrounding Berkshire highlands are documented here during a period of established rail transport and agricultural industry. The New York New Haven & Hartford RR (Berkshire Div) follows the course of the Housatonic River, connecting industrial centers like Van Deusenville and Sheffield with the broader regional economy. The landscape is characterized by a mix of river-bottom settlements and high-elevation landmarks, including Mt Everett and the Taconic heights of Mt Washington.

Genealogists and local researchers will find significant detail in the naming of small enclaves such as Sodom, Gomorrah, and Egremont Plain. The map preserves the locations of vital community centers like Union Church and Church Hill, alongside transportation hubs such as Chapinville Station. This 1880s survey data captures the transition of the tri-state border region before the motor age, showing a dense network of country roads and localized water bodies like Prospect Lake and Spurr Lake.