1956 Map of Bombay Hook

About this map

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge dominates this coastal landscape, revealing a complex network of brackish tidal guts and managed pools during the mid-20th century. The intricate drainage pattern of Duck Creek and its many offshoots, such as Mikes Ditch and Sluice Ditch, illustrates the intersection of natural salt marshes and human engineering for habitat management. Along the coastline of Delaware Bay, small clusters of settlement like Woodland Beach provide a focal point for local activity, while isolated Ruins and family-named landmarks like Collins Island offer clues to earlier agricultural or maritime footprints. From the salt-sprayed reaches of Bombay Hook Island to the inland tracts of Leatherberry Flats, the map documents a transition from tidal flats to the interior wetlands of District No 1, anchored by the lonely sentinel of Ship John Shoal Lt in the offshore waters.