Published in 1939 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Easthampton” presents the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts with the disciplined elegance of American topographical cartography. Drawn at a scale of 1:31,680, the map translates a landscape of mill towns, river corridors, rail lines, and wooded uplands into a precise visual language of contours, color, and relief. Its date is especially evocative: this is Northampton and Easthampton on the eve of the Second World War, before postwar suburban expansion reshaped roads, settlement edges, and patterns of land use. The map captures a region still closely organized around rivers, railways, village centers, and the commanding presence of Mount Tom.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the authority of an institution created to measure, classify, and understand the nation’s terrain. By the late 1930s, USGS topographic sheets had become indispensable tools for engineers, planners, geologists, military readers, and travelers alike. Here, contour lines do more than indicate elevation; they reveal the structural drama of the landscape, from the steeper slopes around Mount Tom and Whiting Peak to the gentler lowlands near Northampton and the Connecticut River. The map’s careful symbology records roads, railways, watercourses, settlements, and wooded areas with a clarity that reflects the scientific confidence of interwar American mapping.

Northampton occupies a central historical role on the map, its streets and surrounding neighborhoods set within a fertile valley long shaped by agriculture, education, religion, and industry. Known for its cultural life and academic institutions, the town appears here not as an isolated urban center but as part of a wider geographical system: connected by rail corridors, crossed by roads, and bounded by riverine and upland terrain. Nearby Florence and the area around Pomeroy Terrace add further texture, evoking a landscape of village industry, residential districts, and civic development. College Hill and surrounding elevations hint at how topography influenced both settlement and prestige within the townscape.

To the south and west, Easthampton, Southampton, Glendale, and the Manhan River valley reveal a different but closely related geography. The Manhan River threads through a landscape where waterpower, transportation, and industry historically shaped local growth. Little Lake and nearby wetlands soften the map’s engineered lines, while roads and railways show the practical networks that linked factory villages, farms, and market towns. The contours around Easthampton show how settlement gathered in the more hospitable valley floors while wooded ridges and higher ground remained comparatively open. This interplay between natural constraint and human adaptation gives the map much of its enduring historical richness.

Mount Tom State Reservation provides one of the map’s most compelling visual anchors, rising dramatically above the Connecticut River and the settled lowlands below. The contouring around Mount Tom and Whiting Peak conveys a terrain of steep ascents, scenic overlooks, and recreational promise, while also marking an important natural landmark in the Pioneer Valley. Parks and trails shown in the surrounding area point to an early twentieth-century appreciation of public landscapes and outdoor leisure. In combination, the rivers, hills, railways, villages, and reservations make “Easthampton” more than a navigational document: it is a portrait of a Massachusetts valley at a pivotal historical moment.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Northampton
• Easthampton
• Glendale
• Florence
• Southampton
• Mount Tom
• Connecticut River
• Manhan River
• Little Lake
• Mount Tom State Reservation
• Whiting Peak
• College Hill
• Roads and railways adjacent to Northampton and Easthampton
• Parks and recreational trails
• Area surrounding Pomeroy Terrace

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a major governmental mapping body responsible for assessing natural resources and hazards.
• Created in 1939, placing the map in pre-World War II America.
• Drawn at a 1:31,680 scale as a detailed topographical map.
• Uses contour lines, shaded relief, and color to represent elevation, landforms, and terrain types.
• Shows a varied landscape of hills and valleys, with contour lines indicating changes in elevation.
• Reflects land use, settlement patterns, and infrastructure before later urban development and environmental change.
• Highlights how natural features influenced settlement and development in the Northampton and Easthampton area.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.