Historic Map - Great Falls (Somersworth), NH - 1877

View of Great Falls, Strafford County, N.H., 1877 / drawn & published by A. Ruger.

This bird’s-eye view print of Great Falls, New Hampshire and Berwick, Maine was drawn and published by Albert Ruger, C. H. Vogt & Co. Lith. in 1877. Berwick was settled in the 1630's along the Salmon Falls River and Great Falls was settled in the 1700's just across the river.

Great Falls emerged in the 1800's as a mill town using the river’s swift current to power the mills. A bridge at that point connected the two towns and they maintained an economic relationship throughout the era because of the mills. Many of the housing structures of Great Falls, at that time, were brick tenement-style houses built by the mill owners to house workers.

Great Falls began attracting tourists in the 1870's when the train between Great Falls and Conway began making regular tour excursions to the scenic White Mountains. In 1893, Great Falls was re-incorporated as Somersworth.

The illustration includes labeled roads, buildings, waterways and railroad route. Berwick, York County, Maine is featured in the foreground, with Great Falls (Somersworth), New Hampshire displayed across the river.

Features references to the following locations:

Town Hall.
High School.
Orange St. School & Primary Schools.
B. & M. R. R. Depot.
Eastern R. R. Depot.
Baptist Church.
F. W. Baptist Church.
Congregational Church.
1st Methodist Church.
2nd Methodist Church.
R. Catholic Church.
Great Falls Mfg. Co. Cotton Mills, J. Comnock, Agt.
Great Falls Woolen Mills Co., E. Hargraves, Agt.
Somersworth Foundry & Machine Co., M. G. Burleigh, Agt.
Wright & Co’s Flour & Grain Mills.
G. W. Hubbard & Co’s Planing Mills, Sash & Door Factory.
Gas Works.
Reservoir.
Great Falls Hotel. R. H. Hussey, Proprietor.
Granite State House. T. S. Wentworth, Proprietor.
High School House.
Primary School House.
Methodist Church.
Cemetery.
Grant’s Hotel. E. Grant, Proprietor.
L. M. & D. H. Nute’s Shoe Manufactory.
L. R. Hersom’s Tannery & Wool Pulling Works.
E. N. Higley’s Machine Shops.
S. P. Horn’s Sash & Door Manufactory.
J. R. Horn’s Saw Planing & Lumber Mills.
L. C. Horn’s Planing Mills & Lumber Yards.
Blaisdell & Bartlett’s Planing Mills & Sash & Door Factory.
Scott’s Reed Manufactory.
J. A. Fall’s Candy Manufactory.
O. H. Butler’s Soap Manufactory.
E. M. Clark’s Carriage Manufactory.