1917 Map of Ewell

About this map

Smith Island and Tangier Island dominate this coastal survey, offering a detailed look at the water-dependent communities of the Chesapeake during the First World War. The map traces a complex network of marshes and guts, including Big Thorofare and Little Thorofare, which connect the isolated settlements of Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton. A clearly marked Steamboat Route cuts through Chesapeake Bay and Tangier Sound, highlighting the essential maritime transportation links that sustained these island outposts before the advent of modern bridge networks. Navigation is further defined by the Smith Point LH and Tangier Sound LH, landmarks critical to the mariners navigating these shallow coastal waters. The survey also captures the precise Boundary Line separating Maryland and Virginia, which bisects the marshlands and water bodies like Shanks Creek.