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1891 Map of Maurice Cove

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Maurice Cove
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

The maritime frontier of Cumberland County takes center stage in this late 19th-century survey of the Delaware Bay coastline. The settlement of Port Norris serves as a vital rail terminus, where the Cumberland & Maurice River R.R. and the West Jersey R.R. meet the water at Long Reach. This interface between land and sea is defined by a labyrinth of tidal waterways, including Dividing Creek and Oranoaken Creek, which navigate the marshy expanse of Downe and Commercial townships.

Navigational hazards dominate the southern half of the sheet, where extensive sandbars and flats like Joe Flogger Shoal and Miah Maul Shoal flank the Main Channel. Safety for the era's heavy oyster and cargo traffic was maintained by a network of beacons, including the Maurice River Light and the offshore Fourteen Foot Bank Light. The geography of Maurice River Cove reflects the intense coastal activity that defined this region's economy before modern dredging and shoreline shifts.