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1945 Map of Webster

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of Webster
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

Industrial villages and mill ponds define the landscape of south-central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut at the end of World War II. The French River and Quinebaug River corridors are densely settled with manufacturing centers like North Village, Chaseville, and Wilsonville. This river-driven economy is supported by two major rail lines, the Boston and Albany Railroad and the New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which weave through the valleys to connect these manufacturing hubs.

Education and community institutions are prominent on the hills, notably Nichols College in Dudley. Local genealogists can locate several burial grounds, including Village Cem and Corbin Cem, alongside numerous rural schoolhouses such as Parker Sch and Fabyan Sch. The terrain is characterized by a series of significant water bodies like Pierpoint Meadow Pond and Merino Pond, which historically provided the power and water necessary for the region's development.