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1977 Map of Orleans

Name: 1977 Topographic Map of Orleans
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Orleans and the surrounding outer cape landscape are revealed through the precise lens of late-1970s aerial photography in this orthophotograph. The intricate network of tidal marshes, salt ponds, and meandering inlets defines the area between Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The imagery highlights the delicate geography of Nauset Beach, a narrow barrier of sand that shields the inland waters and settlements of Tonset and Eastham from the open sea.

The distribution of structures and roads in North Eastham and the town of Orleans demonstrates the residential development patterns characteristic of the mid-to-late twentieth century. Unlike a traditional line-drawn map, this photographic record provides a literal view of the vegetation, sand dunes, and the exact placement of coastal homesteads and infrastructure during this period of the Massachusetts coastline.