Loading map...

1949 Map of False Cape

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of False Cape
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

False Cape and the surrounding Canaveral Peninsula are depicted here just as the post-war era began to transform the Florida coast. This 1949 survey, based on field work and aerial photography from 1948, shows a landscape defined by intricate waterways and coastal hammocks before the significant space-age developments nearby. The area is characterized by a series of barrier islands and peninsulas, including the northern reaches of Merritt Island and the expansive Canaveral State Game Refuge.

Small settlements and private outposts like Canaveral Club and Chester are documented alongside long-established local features such as Pepper Hammock and Humper Hammock. The map details the complex drainage patterns of the Banana River and Banana Creek, showing the numerous cuts and islands like Jack Davis Island and Harrison Island that once provided navigable paths through the marshy interior. To the east, the treacherous Chester Shoal extends into the Atlantic Ocean, marking the interface between the volatile surf and the low-lying shoreline of Titusville Beach.