1944 Map of West Springfield

About this map

The Westfield River carves a sharp path through this mid-century landscape, separating the industrial centers of Westfield and West Springfield from the agricultural and institutional uplands to the south. The terrain is dominated by the narrow, north-south ridge of Provin Mountain, which provides a natural barrier between the watershed of Little River and the developed neighborhoods of North Agawam. This period of the 1940s shows a region defined by institutional sprawl and early suburban transition, noted by the presence of the Westfield State Sanatorium and the Hampden County Training Sch.