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1943 Map of Wesley

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Wesley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Wesley and Northfield anchor this 1940s survey of Washington County, where the landscape is defined by the intricate waterway of the Machias River. The mapping details a wilderness economy and infrastructure, featuring the Old Air Line road cutting across the northern reaches and a prominent Firetower on a high point near the settlement of The Pines. This era shows local education concentrated at the Lower Wesley Sch and Northfield Sch, while the interior remains a web of streams and rapids like Stinking Jam Rapids and Wigwam Rapids.

The topography is marked by named ridges and peaks such as Peaked Mtn and Talbot Ridge, interspersed with numerous glacial lakes including Second Chain Lake and Sam Hill Lake. Local landmarks like Smith Landing and the Mettimo Place suggest the persistent human presence along the riverbanks, even as the territory transitions into the broader barrens. The presence of Holmes Falls and Bobeled Rips illustrates the river's descent through the timberlands, providing critical geographic data for historians of Maine's logging and water-power history.