1941 Map of Salem

About this map

The Delaware River shorelines of Upper Penns Neck and Lower Penns Neck reveal an industrial and transport landscape during the early 1940s. Heavy industry and military-adjacent infrastructure are evident at Dupont Powders Co and a nearby Landing Field, while the Wilmington Ferry maintains a vital connection across the water. Inland, the map captures a rural network of small agricultural hamlets and crossroads such as Sharptown and Yorktown PO, connected by the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. Water-powered history is preserved in labels for several local works, including Porches Mill and Russels Mill, which sit along the drainages of Oldmans Creek and the Salem River. This survey, revised by the 30th Engineer Battalion, documents the transition from a traditional milling economy to modern electrical and chemical infrastructure, evidenced by the Transformer Station near Milltown.