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1918 Map of Cape Henlopen

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Cape Henlopen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Lewes serves as the focal point of this coastal survey, situated where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape is defined by its maritime infrastructure, featuring the Cape Henlopen Light and the Harbor of Refuge, protected by a massive breakwater system. This 1917 survey, conducted in cooperation with the War Department, details a critical military and navigational corridor during the First World War.

Inland, the map reveals a rural network of family-named junctions such as Wescoat Corners and Murray Corners, along with the West Hill School. Several rail lines, including the Philadelphia Baltimore and Washington, converge at the coast, illustrating the era's reliance on rail to reach the strategic Breakwater Harbor. The intricate hydrology of Broadkill Creek and Canary Creek highlights the shifting marshy terrain behind Broadkill Beach.