1942 Map of Deal Island

About this map

Deal Island and the neighboring settlements of Wenona, Chance, and Dames Quarter dominate this 1942 survey of the Somerset County coastline. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of tidal guts and thorofares, such as Laws Thorofare and Lower Thorofare, which historically facilitated the local waterborne economy and navigation. Located at the confluence of the Nanticoke River, Wicomico River, and Tangier Sound, this area was critical for Chesapeake Bay maritime traffic, marked by landmarks like the Sharkfin Shoal Lighthouse and Great Shoals Lighthouse. The map illustrates a rural, coastal pattern of life where housing and industry are tightly clustered along the primary road, now known as 363, surrounded by expansive wetlands like Dames Quarter Marsh. Genealogists will find interest in the specific placement of village structures and the many named landing points and guts that defined family property and livelihoods in the mid-20th century.