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1953 Map of Beaufort

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Beaufort
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Camp Lejeune U.S. Naval Reservation and Cherry Point U.S. Naval Reservation dominate this mid-century coastal landscape, reflecting the massive military footprint established in North Carolina during the 1940s. The coastline is defined by the intricate barrier island systems of Shackleford Banks and Bogue Banks, which shelter Bogue Sound and the port of Morehead City. Inland, the terrain transitions into the dense, poorly drained pocosin of the Holly Shelter State Game Refuge and Croatan National Forest.

Regional transportation networks rely on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railroad to connect established hubs like Wilmington and Beaufort to the interior. Small rural settlements such as Sneads Ferry, Otway, and St. Helena Church are scattered across the lowlands, while landmarks like the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Fort Macon stand as guardians of the shifting inlets, including Bogue Inlet and New River Inlet.