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1931 Map of Smyrna

Name: 1931 Topographic Map of Smyrna
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Smyrna and the surrounding agricultural districts of Kent and New Castle Counties are shown here during a period of significant transition in Delaware's transportation infrastructure. The Pennsylvania Railroad runs through the heart of the region, supporting agricultural hubs like Townsend and Middletown, while the newly established Dupont Highway signals the rising dominance of motor travel. Along the tidal reaches of Appoquinimink Creek and Blackbird Creek, a series of landings—including Blackbird Landing and Flemings Landing—reveal the persistent importance of waterborne trade in the low-lying coastal marshes.

Genealogists and local historians can locate numerous small rural schoolhouses and country churches that anchored early 20th-century life, such as Oak Hill Sch and St Anns Ch. The landscape is dotted with family-named crossroads like Thomas Cors and Boyds Cor, while the established settlements of Odessa and Blackbird maintain their historical footprints before the significant suburban expansion of later decades.