{"product_id":"old-map-of-alton-new-hampshire-by-usgs-1957-lake-winnipesaukee-alton-bay-mount-major","title":"Old Map of Alton, New Hampshire by USGS, 1957 – Lake Winnipesaukee, Alton Bay \u0026 Mount Major","description":"\u003cp\u003eTitled “Alton,” this US Geological Survey topographical map was compiled in 1957 and issued with a 1969 imprint, preserving a richly detailed portrait of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region at mid-century. Centered on the town of Alton, the map extends across a varied landscape of lake shores, wooded uplands, small settlements, roads, rail lines, and rural valleys. Its 1:62,500 scale offers a generous regional view while retaining the precision for which USGS quadrangles are prized. Contour lines articulate the rise and fall of the land with elegant clarity, tracing hills, ridges, and basins around Lake Winnipesaukee, Alton Bay, Merrymeeting Lake, Crystal Lake, and a constellation of smaller ponds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in scientific cartography, producing sheets that were essential to engineers, planners, foresters, conservationists, and travelers. Unlike decorative maps made primarily for display, USGS topographic maps combine aesthetic restraint with rigorous observation: water, woodland, elevation, transport routes, and settlement patterns are organized into a legible portrait of place. Here, the Lakes Region appears not as a romantic abstraction but as a working landscape, where villages, farms, forests, shore communities, and mountain terrain coexist. The result is a map of quiet authority, revealing how Alton and its neighboring towns fit into the broader geography of central New Hampshire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLake Winnipesaukee is the dominant natural presence, with Alton Bay forming a graceful southern arm that draws the eye into the composition. Nearby water bodies—Merrymeeting Lake, Beaver Lake, Long Lake, Hunkins Pond, Hills Pond, Steven’s Pond, and Crystal Lake—underscore the hydrological richness of the region. The Suncook River and smaller drainage channels thread through valleys and lowlands, linking upland ponds with broader watershed systems. These features are more than scenic details: they shaped settlement, transportation, recreation, and land use throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The map captures a moment when lakeside development was expanding, yet large tracts of woodland and rural terrain still defined the character of the area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topography surrounding Alton is especially compelling, with Mount Major, Gunstock Mountain, and Belknap Mountain rising as prominent anchors in the mapped landscape. Contour lines gather tightly around these highlands, giving a vivid sense of steep slopes and elevated ridgelines, while gentler spacing marks farms, valleys, and settled corridors. Trails appear across the uplands, hinting at the region’s long tradition of hiking and outdoor recreation, particularly in the Belknap Range. The inclusion of Alton Town Forest and other conservation lands reflects the growing importance of protected landscapes in New Hampshire. In this way, the map records both natural form and human stewardship, balancing wilderness, access, and preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoads and railroads give the map its historical pulse. Routes 11, 28, and 102 trace connections between Alton, Barnstead, Middleton, New Durham, Farmington, and Gilford, showing how communities were linked before the later intensification of automobile-oriented development. Rail lines, where indicated, recall earlier patterns of movement and commerce, when lakeside tourism, timber, agriculture, and small industry depended on dependable regional transport. For collectors, historians, and admirers of New Hampshire, this map offers more than geographic information: it is a mid-century document of change. It shows Alton poised between rural tradition and modern recreation, between working landscape and conserved terrain, and between local identity and the wider story of the Lakes Region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Winnipesaukee\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarnstead\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMiddleton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew Durham\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFarmington\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGilford\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMount Major\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuncook River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHunkins Pond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrystal Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMerrymeeting Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeaver Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLong Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGunstock Mountain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBelknap Mountain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHills Pond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSteven's Pond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlton Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 11\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 28\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 102\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailroads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlton Town Forest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConservation areas and parks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap titled \u003cstrong\u003e“Alton”\u003c\/strong\u003e, showing Alton, New Hampshire, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the \u003cstrong\u003eUS Geological Survey (USGS)\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical \u003cstrong\u003e1:62,500 topographical map\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated \u003cstrong\u003e1957\u003c\/strong\u003e and published with a \u003cstrong\u003e1969 imprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures clear topographical detail, including contour lines showing elevations and depressions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses contrasting colors to distinguish land, water bodies, and vegetation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers through contour lines and shading.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the Alton-area landscape in the late 1950s.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffers insight into land use, natural features, development, and land conservation in the region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/fr\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith 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 \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/fr\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":67887739601287,"sku":null,"price":42.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":67887739634055,"sku":null,"price":115.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":67887739666823,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":67887739699591,"sku":null,"price":42.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":67887739732359,"sku":null,"price":115.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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