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1949 Map of Cocoa Beach

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Cocoa Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Cocoa Beach and its surrounding barrier island geography are depicted here during a transformative era of coastal development. The landscape is defined by the narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River, where the intricate complex of the Thousand Islands creates a maze of waterways including Catfish Creek and Houseboat Creek.

Strategic military growth is evident at the southern end of the sheet with the footprint of Patrick Air Force Base. The map reveals the early residential patterns of South Cocoa Beach and named coastal landmarks like Sprig Point and Shortys Banks. Revisions from 1970 aerial photography are overlaid on the 1949 base, showing the rapid expansion of urban areas and finger-canal developments that began to reshape the natural shoreline of Mud and Pocket during the mid-century.