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1941 Map of Wesley

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Wesley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Wesley and Northfield anchor this rural landscape in central Washington County, connected by the historical Air Line road. Surveyed in the early 1940s, the map reveals a region defined by its complex hydrology and timber-related geography, where the Machias River and its numerous riffles and pitches dictate the flow of travel and resource extraction. Significant local infrastructure of the era is visible, including the Firetower near The Pines and small rural institutions like the Lower Wesley Sch and Northfield Sch.

The terrain is a mosaic of family-named landmarks and water bodies, from the Chain Lakes in the northwest to the expansive Bog Lake and Pug Heath. Named locations such as Mattimo Place and Smith Landing suggest specific sites of habitation or commerce along the waterways. The presence of features like Stinking Jam Rapids and Great Meadow Riffles provides a technical look at the river navigation challenges faced by locals before modern development altered the wilderness character of the Machias valley.