1896 Map of Strafford

About this map

Copperfield and the neighboring hilltop hamlets of Vershire and Strafford define this late nineteenth-century portrait of the Vermont interior. The landscape is a complex network of brook-fed valleys and high ridges, where settlements like Old City and Mill Village grew around the hydraulic power of the Ompompanoosuc River and its various branches. This era reflects a mature agrarian and early industrial economy, visible in the clusters of Rices Mills and the railroad corridor of the Central Vermont along the White River at Sharon. Small communities such as New Boston and Union Village are connected by a dense web of valley roads and mountain passes. Names like Grannyhand Hill and Brocklebank Hill offer a glimpse into the local nomenclature of the time, while the presence of Eagle Ledge and Patterson Mtn highlights the significant vertical relief of the region.