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1901 Map of Ocean City

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Ocean City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

Ocean City occupies a narrow strip of the barrier island, flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and the sprawling waters of Sinepuxent Bay. At this turn-of-the-century date, the landscape is defined by its intricate coastal geography, where maritime life and rail transportation meet. The Philadelphia Wilmington and Baltimore R. R. and the Chesapeake and Atlantic R. R. intersect near Berlin, providing vital inland connections for coastal settlements like Bishopville and Showell.

Along the coast, the Fenwick Island L.H. and several Life Saving Stations, including Fenwick Island L.S.S. and Isle of Wight L.S.S., highlight the era's reliance on coastal navigation and safety. The interior is a web of tidal prongs and creeks such as Bishopville Prong and Turville Creek, interspersed with small farming and milling hamlets like Saint Martin and Germantown. This map offers a clear view of the Delmarva Peninsula's drainage patterns and original settlement clusters before modern development reshaped the shoreline.