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
