New England Towns

I guess the best way to explain this site is thus: This is a travel guide that your ancestors could have used almost two hundred years ago. I spent a lot of time reading through this site last night. It contains a large number of historic descriptions covering New England, from the states down to individual locations (springs, rivers, etc.).

NewEnglandTowns.org -
NewEnglandTowns.org brings together historic accounts of New England places that not only tell us about times gone by, but also offer hints and revelations for the modern visitor. Searching for a scenic getaway? Want to visit ancestral towns and villages in search of genealogy and family history.

Here’s an entry for the Massachusetts portion of the site
A trigonometrical and astronomical survey of the state, by order of the general court, for the purpose of a new map, was commenced in 1830, and will soon be completed. Surveys of the mineralogy, botany, zoology, and agriculture of the state have been commenced; some favorable reports have been made, and the researches of scientific men are continued, and promise great public usefulness.

It’s a great site to poke around, and the creators have done a good job of pulling all of this information together.