1943 Map of Columbia

South of the river, the Scuppernong Farms (F.S.A.) project area illustrates federal involvement in rural land management. The terrain is defined by a complex system of man-made waterways, including the Western Canal, Thirty Foot Canal, and State Canal, which facilitated movement across the low-lying interior toward Phelps Lake and Alligator Lake. Small communities like Gum Neck, Kilkenny, and Fairfield are connected by these waterways and early roads, showing a settlement pattern deeply tied to the surrounding wetlands and the Alligator River.