Loading map...

1953 Map of Messers Pond

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Messers Pond
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Fort Jackson Military Reservation dominates this 1950s landscape, illustrating a heavily utilized tactical training environment in South Carolina. The map reveals an intricate network of specialized roads such as Artillery Road, Rifle Road, and Infantry Road, which snake through the varied terrain of Noahs Marsh and Wise Marsh. Scattered across the reservation are numerous Observation posts and a specific Recoiless rifle range, documenting the intensive military use of the Richland and Kershaw county line during the Cold War era.

Genealogists will find significant value in the preservation of local history within the military boundary. Several historic burial sites remain, including Spears Creek Church and Cemetery, Salem Cemetery, and Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The presence of the Richland County Convalescent Home and the YMCA Camp near Bells Pond highlights the area's dual role as both a defense installation and a center for local community services and outdoor recreation.