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1891 Map of Maurice Cove

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Maurice Cove
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The salt marshes and maritime corridors of Cumberland County dominate this coastal survey, where the Maurice River empties into the expanse of Maurice River Cove. This late 19th-century landscape is defined by its commercial water access, anchored by the settlement of Port Norris and the isolated outpost of Fortesque. The importance of navigation is evident through the placement of critical beacons, including the offshore Cross Ledge Light and Fourteen Foot Bank Light, which guided vessels through the Main Channel of the Delaware Bay.

On land, the intersection of rail and tide is seen in the terminals of the Maurice River Branch and the West Jersey R.R., which reached down to the water's edge at Maurice River Neck. The intricate drainage of the marsh is meticulously mapped through networks like Dividing Creek and Oranoaken Creek, revealing a specialized environment of tidal flats and shoals such as Egg Island Flats and the ominously named Dead Man Shoal.