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1940 Map of Sterling

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

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Oakdale and Sterling Junction serve as key hubs in this Worcester County landscape, where the Boston and Maine Railroad weaves through a network of waterways feeding the Wachusett Reservoir. The map documents critical infrastructure of the era, including the Quabbin Aqueduct with visible markers for Shaft 1, Shaft 2, and Shaft 3. This subterranean engineering feat mirrors the complex surface water system defined by the Stillwater River and Stillwater Basin.

Genealogists will find significant local landmarks such as the Sterling Camp Grounds and the Worcester County Training School near the Thomas Basin. The rural character of the towns is preserved through numerous family-named hills like Kendall Hill and Justice Hill, alongside several burial sites including West Sterling Cem and Legge Cem. Distinctive terrain features, from the slopes of Wachusett Mtn to the marshy expanse of Bartlett Swamp, highlight the transition between upland ridges and the reservoir's edge.