For those of you interested in old maps (and you know who you are), Bob Wood, VP of the Old Bridgewater Historical Society in Bridgewater, Mass., has preserved a copy of a very old map depicting Leonard homesteads in the area between 1670 and 1702. We’re talkin’ really early Americans… before there was a USA.

At 18×15 inches, it’s too big to put in my scanner and what you see to the left is just a portion of the whole thing. If you have the bandwidth to handle a two megabyte download you can click the image on the left to see a much larger version of the same map. More on how to get the full 18×15 version in a minute.

Titled “Leonard Lands 1670-1699-1702″, the map clearly depicts the locations of a half-dozen Leonard families in relation to each other and their neighbors. It includes hand-written notes on who bought which parcel from whom and when… clearly stating that Samuel, John, Isaac, Jacob, and Solomon are the SONS of Solomon Leonard (circa 1610-1671). I haven’t done the research yet, but it’s very likely that some of the landowners are also descendants of James (the iron man) Leonard.

Is undated, except for its title. Bob Wood, a map collector himself, thinks the original probably dates back to the early 1800s and was based on the work of William Latham, an area attorney/historian who was familiar with the old deeds. It may or may not have been published by Joshua Crane, who published several books on Massachusetts’ early history.

All-in-all, it’s an interesting piece of history and it can be yours for the low-low price of $15 paid directly to the Old Bridgewater Historical Society. Is it worth it? Depends on who you ask. It is, after all, just an 18×15 copy of a copy and it will arrive folded in four parts. It might be a tad over-priced, but I considered it a donation to the Society to help keep the doors open.

So, if you’re interested… address your $15 checks to:

Old Bridgewater Historical Society
c/o Bob Wood
60 Forest Drive
Bridgewater, MA. 02324

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And no, none of the proceeds go to yours truly. I just need something to fill that advertising hole in the right column.