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1894 Map of Atlantic City

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Atlantic City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

The coastal barrier islands and expansive salt marshes of the Jersey Shore appear here during a transformative era of rail-driven tourism. Atlantic City anchors the southern end of the sheet, already showing a dense grid of streets and its prominent Absecon Light, while multiple rail lines such as the Camden and Atlantic Railroad and the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad converge on the shore. This intricate network of tracks and depots highlights the rapid development of the region as a major destination for travelers from Philadelphia and beyond.

Inland from the shifting sands of Brigantine Beach, the landscape transitions into a complex labyrinth of tidal waterways including Reeds Bay and Absecon Bay. Small, established settlements like Leeds Point, Oceanville, and Smithville sit on the higher ground of the mainland, overlooking the thorofares and coves. The presence of several Life Saving Stations along the outer beaches, such as at Island Beach and Brigantine, underscores the treacherous nature of the Atlantic coastline for late 19th-century maritime traffic.