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1943 Map of Columbia

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Columbia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Columbia serves as the focal point of this coastal North Carolina landscape, where the Scuppernong River meets the Albemarle Sound. The map reveals an intricate network of drainage and transportation infrastructure essential to the regional economy during the early 1940s. A significant industrial footprint is visible at the Richmond Cedar Works Lumber Mill and its associated Richmond Cedar Works Docks, highlighting the importance of timber processing and maritime shipping.

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.