Loading map...

1968 Map of Ewell

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Ewell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Smith Island anchors this detailed bathymetric and topographic study, revealing the complex water-dependent life of Somerset County, Maryland. The three primary settlements—Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton—are shown as isolated outposts connected by a intricate web of channels including Big Thorofare, The Canal, and Tyler Ditch. This 1960s perspective, updated with mid-1980s bathymetry, captures the island's landscape before decades of modern erosion took their toll, particularly visible in the marshes of the Martin National Wildlife Refuge.

The map documents the maritime character of the region, from the Chesapeake Bay depths to the labyrinthine guts and sloughs like Merkin Gut and Hog Neck Gut. Notable local landmarks such as Calvary Ch and the curiously named Amen Corner provide points of interest for genealogists tracing family histories in these waterman communities. The state line between Maryland and Virginia cuts across the southern marshes near Fishbone Island, marking the jurisdictional edge of this distinctive estuarine environment.