1968 Map of Exmore

About this map

The Eastern Shore peninsula of Virginia is defined here by the crossing of the Pennsylvania railroad and the intricate tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. Centered on the town of Exmore, the landscape reveals a dense network of farming communities and maritime outposts. At Willis Wharf and Oakland Park, the land gives way to the vast Machipongo River and Machipongo Swamp, showing the historical reliance on these waterways for transport and trade. Inland, the Virginia Truck Experimental Station points to the region's agricultural heritage, while numerous small settlements like Painter, Belle Haven, and Craddockville are linked by a grid of rural roads and the rail line. The map captures a moment of transition where established village centers, such as Hadlock and Mappsburg, remained the focal points of local life before later modern development altered the rural character of Northampton and Accomack counties.