Maps and Paintings (p. 276)
(No pictures, but 318 pages of fascinating recounts, published 1864.)

There are two maps of Wilbraham in the State archives. The one protracted on a scale ten parts to an inch, each of which parts represents twenty rods. It is dated May 29, 1795; James Shaw and Robert Sessions, Committee. It is drawn with pen and ink. There is a straight line west of the mountains, from Chicopee River to Somers, to represent the west road; another on the north end to represent the "Great Road"; another through the mountain in the South Parish, and bearing southeast, to the corner of the town. A crinkled line represents the Scantic and Chicopee Rivers, and Twelve-mile Brook.

A rough figure of a house represents Caleb Stebbins's mill, the North and South Parish Meeting-houses, and Burt's and Leach's mills. A long oval represents the North Mountain, from the Scantic to the Chicopee; a short one, truncated at the south end, the South Mountain. Five ovals or circles represent as many ponds or swamps on the west side of the town. The "elbows" had not been annexed when this map was projected. and are omitted. The other map was projected by A. Bliss about forty years ago, from a survey ordered by the State. It is shaded with different colors to represent different soils and forests, and is withal a pretty ambitious work.

Monson map, the work of the same surveyor, shows the same tinted glories. The dimensions of the town, according to Bliss's survey, are as follows: West line, beginning at Chicopee River, south two and one-half degrees east, 1,478 rods between Springfield and Wilbraham; and south three and one-half degrees east, 1,234 rods between Longmeadow and Wilbraham; in all, 2,712 rods on the west side. The south line on Connecticut measures 1,420 rods. The east line, north one and one-half degrees west. 2,626 rods between Monson and Wilbraham; north one and one-sixth degrees west, 704 rods between Palmer and Wilbraham; east line, in all, 3,330 rods.

The older maps gives the dimensions as follows: Commencing at Chicopee River, as before, south three degrees east, four miles to the corner of Longmeadow; then south the same point three miles on Longmeadow to Connecticut. Then east seven degrees south on Connecticut line, four miles and one-half to Monson Corner. Then north three degrees west, 2,250 rods to the Post Road, being a corner of Monson and Palmer. Then on the same point on the west line of Palmer, 320 rods. Then west three degrees south, on land belonging to Springfield, 240 rods to Chicopee River. Then follow the river to the place of starting. It seems that the "elbows" carried the east line of the town 384 rods further north than it went before they were annexed.