CIRCA 1950

TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS

BY THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Thanks to the University of New Hampshire's Diamond Library for provision of
these maps. That Library also has available 1890's topographic maps for Connecticut.

As the region's physical planning and development proceeds, it is helpful to have an understand of where the area has been, its geographic roots and traditional landscape. This can be seen on U.S. Geological Survey maps dating from near 1950.

The population of the region in that year was 59,193, shooting up almost fourfold to 212,248 in 2000. The impact on the ground has been dramatic, as shown by these two "before" and "after" images of parts of Federal Road and Newtown Road in eastern Danbury and also part of northern Bethel.

While the upper map shows "country territory" in 1953, the world of today on the lower map shows I-84 Exit 7 and Exit 8, with the Commerce Park industrial area in between.

How has your community changed? To find out you can examine the maps below.

BETHEL, CT
Northern Bethel in 1953 -- East Central Bethel in 1953
Southeastern Bethel in 1951 -- Central and Southwestern Bethel in 1951

BRIDGEWATER, CT
Northwestern Bridgewater in 1951 -- Northeastern Bridgewater in 1949
Eastern Bridgewater in 1949 -- Southern Bridgewater in 1951

BROOKFIELD, CT
Western Brookfield in 1953 -- Northernmost Brookfield in 1951
Eastern Brookfield in 1953 -- Southern Brookfield in 1953

DANBURY, CT
Northwestern Danbury in 1946 -- Western Danbury in 1946
North Central Danbury in 1953 -- Eastern Danbury in 1953
Southern Danbury in 1951

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT
Northwest New Fairfield in 1947 -- Northeast New Fairfield in 1951
Southeastern New Fairfield in 1953 -- Southwestern New Fairfield in 1946

NEW MILFORD, CT
Northwest New Milford in 1950 -- Western New Milford in 1951
North Central and Northeast New Milford in 1950 -- Northeasternmost New Milford in 1950
Easternmost New Milford in 1949 -- Central New Milford in 1951
Central and Southern New Milford in 1951

NEWTOWN, CT
Western Newtown in 1951 -- Northwestern Newtown in 1951
North Central Newtown in 1953 -- Southern Newtown in 1951
Southwestern Newtown in 1951

REDDING, CT
Westernmost Redding in 1951 -- Western Redding in 1951
Eastern Redding in 1951

RIDGEFIELD, CT
North and Western Ridgefield in 1946 -- Northeastern Ridgefield in 1951
Eastern Ridgefield in 1951 -- Southeasternmost Ridgefield in 1947
Southwestern Ridgefield in 1946

SHERMAN, CT
Northwest Sherman in 1947 -- Western Sherman in 1947
Northeast Sherman in 1950 -- East and Southeast Sherman in 1951
Southwest Sherman in 1947