1917 Map of Heathsville

About this map

Steamboat routes along the Coan River and Great Wicomico River define the maritime character of this Virginia coastal region during the First World War. The topography is dominated by the deeply indented shorelines of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay, where fingers of land like Bay Quarter Neck and Hack Neck reach into the water. This 1917 survey captures the Northern Neck in an era of local industry and waterborne commerce, with numerous small mills such as Sydnors Mill and Coanlee Mill scattered across the inland drainage.