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1952 Map of Westford

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Westford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Union and Westford anchor this portrait of north-central Connecticut, where the rugged topography of the Nipmuck State Forest dictates the flow of human settlement. The landscape is defined by its ridge-and-valley structure, with prominent elevations like Walker Mtn and Bald Hill rising above a dense network of watercourses, including the Fenton River and Mount Hope River. These streams were vital to early local industry, as evidenced by names like Lead Mine Brook and the vicinity of Lead Mine Hill.

For local historians, the map provides precise locations for community centers that sustained these rural pockets, such as the Union Sch, Westford Hill Ch, and the evocative Swamp Burying Ground. The mid-century development around Lake Chaffee contrasts with the traditional crossroads at Tinkerville and Moose Meadow Cem. Fire protection and surveying needs are marked by the Union Lookout Tower and Walker Mtn Lookout Tower, indicating the importance of forestry in this period.