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1952 Map of Southbridge

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Southbridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Quinebaug River winds through the industrial and residential heart of this region, anchoring the dense development of Southbridge and its surrounding mill villages. In the early 1950s, the landscape reveals a transition between the established manufacturing centers of Globe Village and Sandersdale and the burgeoning heritage tourism at Old Sturbridge Village. The map captures the community's infrastructure in detail, from the West St Sch and Charlton St Sch to the numerous religious and memorial sites like St Marys Cem and Notre Dame Cem.

South of the urban core, the terrain shifts into the heavily wooded ridges of the Nipmuck State Forest. This area is defined by a chain of reservoirs and ponds, including Hatchet Pond and Breakneck Pond, which historically supported the water needs of the valley's industries. The presence of Robinson Crusoe Camp and the Cohasse Country Club suggests the mid-century intersection of natural conservation and local recreation near the Massachusetts-Connecticut border.