1886 Walling Map of the Old Colony Railroad, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard

A c. 1886 Henry Francis Walling map of southern Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, highlighting the Old Colony Railroad network. It captures the region as it transitioned from whaling to tourism-based economies. The Old Colony network is illustrated near its height, with rail service to Cape Cod, ferry service to Martha's Vineyard, and a short-lived narrow-gauge railway on Martha's Vineyard itself.

A Closer Look

Focusing on the lands around Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound, this map highlights lines belonging to the Old Colony Railroad, at the time one of the largest rail systems in New England. Lines extending from Falmouth on Cape Cod and to New Bedford, beyond the map's scope to the west, are not rail lines but ferry services (operated as a subsidiary, the Old Colony Steamboat Company). However, once passengers reached Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, they could board a narrow-gauge railroad to Katama Point in Edgartown. This line operated from 1874 to 1896 and was run by the Old Colony Railroad in its final years.

This map was issued as Martha's Vineyard was transitioning from a whaling to tourism economy. The Old Colony system was an essential part of this transition, bringing in well-heeled tourists from throughout New England and beyond.

Aside from rail and ferry lines, roads, waterways, islands, beaches, and other features are indicated throughout, including 'Indian Lands' on the west side of Martha's Vineyard. This area was then known as Gay Head but has recently been officially renamed to its historic indigenous name, Aquinnah, and continues to serve as an important cultural center for the Wampanoag people.

The Old Colony Railroad

Founded in 1845, the Old Colony Railroad operated in southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island until 1893. Named after the 'Old Colony,' a reference to Plymouth, its network grew extensively through mergers and acquisitions. Old Colony operated both passenger and freight services, as well as steamship service to New York City. A steamer between Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket also operated from 1872. The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad acquired the Old Colony trackage rights in 1893 and renamed it the 'Old Colony Division' of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. Portions of the railroad's network have been incorporated into the MBTA Commuter Rail system; namely, the Middleborough/Lakeville and Kingston/Plymouth Lines, and are known informally as the 'Old Colony Lines.'

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Henry Francis Walling and was likely published in the mid-1880s. Maps with this title are held by the Newberry Library, Northwestern University, Yale University, and Harvard University, though they are cataloged under different presumed dates, which may indicate multiple editions of the map.