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1950 Map of Sterling

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Sterling
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Stillwater River drainage basin dominates this central Massachusetts landscape, flowing south through a valley flanked by prominent heights like Justice Hill and Rowley Hill. This 1950s era documentation highlights a transition in local infrastructure, where the massive Wachusett Reservoir and its associated industrial engineering features, such as Shaft No 1 and Shaft No 2, have reshaped the southern terrain near Oakdale.

Settlement patterns remain concentrated in historic hubs like Sterling and East Princeton, while the rural character is preserved in the expansive State Forest tracts to the northwest. For family historians, the sheet identifies several local burial grounds including West Sterling Cem and High Plain Cem. Educational and social history is represented by the County Training Sch near the Thomas Basin, reflecting the specialized institutional land use of the mid-twentieth century.