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1893 Map of Cape May

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Cape May
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1904
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1904

About this map

Cape May Light stands at the tip of the peninsula in this late 19th-century study of the New Jersey coast. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of marshes and waterways like Jarvis Sound and Grassy Sound, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier features such as Two Mile Beach and Poverty Beach. Inland, the geography reveals a transition from these tidal wetlands to the early developments of West Cape May and Bennett.

Railroads dominate the transportation corridor, reflecting the era's reliance on steam for both freight and the growing coastal tourism industry. The West Jersey and Atlantic R. R. and the Jersey City and Seashore R. R. converge near the shore, linking the southern tip to northern centers. Life-saving stations, including L. S. Station Turtle Gut and L. S. Station Cold Spring, are prominently marked, highlighting the maritime hazards of the era.