1955 Map of Messick

About this map

The U.S. Military Reservation Plum Tree Island Bombing Range dominates this coastal landscape, showing a significant portion of the York County shoreline dedicated to mid-century military operations. This marshy stretch of the Chesapeake Bay includes the intricate tidal networks of the salt marsh and Drum Island Flats, where the land fragments into numerous small landmasses like Whalebone Island and Cow Island. To the west, the residential patterns of Jeffs, Messick, and Poquoson are established along the higher ground of Blackwalnut Ridge, connected by the primary corridor of Messick Road. Out in the open water, the York Spit Lighthouse stands as a vital navigational marker near the deep-water shipping channel, while the expansive Poquoson Flats highlight the shallow, complex bathymetry of the bay before it reaches the York Spit.