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1920 Map of Dover

Name: 1920 Topographic Map of Dover
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1920
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1920

About this map

The boundary between Maryland and Delaware is traced by the historic Mason and Dixon Line, anchoring a landscape defined by tidewater inlets and early rail expansion. Compiled by the Corps of Engineers, this 1920 survey illustrates a region where maritime commerce at Wilson Point Wharf and Smyrna Ldg. met the growing influence of the Delaware R.R. and the Baltimore & Philadelphia R.R.

Settlements like Middletown, Odessa, and Smyrna serve as inland hubs, while the coast is marked by navigation aids like the Bombay Hook Light. The interior is crosscut by a complex network of drainage ditches and branches, such as Long Marsh Ditch and Queen Anne Branch, reflecting the agricultural development of the fertile necks of land between the Bohemia River and Sassafras River. From the heights of Maulden Mtn. to the lowlands of Raymonds Neck, the map reveals the intricate water-and-rail economy of the Delmarva Peninsula.