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1955 Map of Elizabethtown

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Elizabethtown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Cape Fear River carves a deep, winding path through the center of this mid-century survey, dividing the landscape into a complex network of swamps and Carolina bays. The county seat of Elizabethtown serves as the regional hub, supported by river infrastructure like Lock No 2 and the Virginia and Carolina Southern rail line. To the south, the Seaboard Air Line railroad anchors smaller settlements like Abbottsburg and Ruskin.

Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, from the Benson Cem and McGill Cem to numerous rural congregations such as Saints Rest Ch and Richardson Chapel. The map reveals a distinct geographic pattern of elliptical depressions known as bays, including Salters Lake and Jones Lake, which are interspersed among timbered tracts like the Bladen Lakes State Forest and agricultural clearings. The presence of Prison No 601 and Washington High Sch further illustrates the social and civic layout of the county during this era.