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1915 Map of Seaford

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Seaford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1915
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1915

About this map

Nanticoke River and Broad Creek serve as the primary arteries of Sussex County in this early twentieth-century study, where maritime and rail transport intersect. The town of Seaford sits at a critical junction where the Philadelphia and Washington rail line meets the water, supported by the Steamboat Route extending downriver. This era shows a landscape dense with small-scale rural infrastructure, from the numerous schools like Cokesbury School and Flowers School to local industry at Old Furnace Mill.

Transit across the waterways is still dominated by traditional points like Cannons Ferry and specialized docks such as Wheatleys Wharf and Ellis Wharf. The map records a transition in Sussex County’s development, preserving the locations of vanished community hubs like Cloverdale Crossroads and the curiously named Midnight Thicket. These details provide a clear view of the pre-highway Delmarva Peninsula, defined by its dependence on the river and the iron rail.