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1942 Map of Golden Hill

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Golden Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The Honga River and its intricate network of tidal guts and marshes dominate this 1942 survey of Dorchester County. The landscape is a complex weave of water and wooded necks, where small settlements like Golden Hill and Harrisville occupy the slightly higher ground. This era shows the extensive bounds of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge protecting the vast wetlands of Moneystump Swamp and Russell Swamp.

Genealogists will find interest in the localized names given to the various landings and necks, such as Peters Neck and Woolford Plantation Pt, reflecting a long history of maritime and agricultural subsistence. From the small church at the northern edge near Woolford to the Lookout Tower near the refuge, the map documents the rural infrastructure of the Eastern Shore before modern development altered the character of these coastal reaches. The road network connects isolated points like Riggins Corner and Crossroads, tracing the transition from solid ground to the shifting edges of the Great Marsh.