1947 Map of Rocky Point

About this map

The Northeast Cape Fear River dominates this mid-century landscape, snaking through a network of wetlands and swamps such as Trumpeter Swamp and Holly Shelter Bay. This area of Pender and New Hanover Counties shows a transition from rural agriculture to the developing outskirts of north Wilmington. The river serves as a natural boundary, while the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railway provide the essential industrial infrastructure of the era, cutting straight through the river's winding oxbows. Small communities and rural junctions define the social geography, including Rocky Point, Castle Hayne, and Bells Crossroads. Genealogists and local historians will find value in the specific locations of rural landmarks like Friendship Ch and the Wrightsboro Sch (N), as well as the numerous family-named roads that crisscross the lowlands between the river and the Inland Waterway.