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1898 Map of St. Marys

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of St. Marys
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1903
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1903

About this map

Chesapeake Bay dominates this late-nineteenth-century maritime landscape, separating the peninsular reaches of St. Mary Co. and Calvert Co. from the marshy archipelagos of Taylor Island and Bloodsworth Island. This survey reveals a tidewater economy reliant on waterborne transport, marked by numerous landings such as Spencers Wharf, Brome Wharf, and Bacons Wharf. Navigation is anchored by vital landmarks including the Holland Island Bar L.H. and the Hooper Strait L.H., which guided vessels through the complex network of sounds and straits.

Concentrated settlements like Solomons and St. Mary sit alongside smaller communities like Applegarth and Golden Hill, many of which were defined by their proximity to the oyster-rich waters. The presence of a ferry crossing between Meekin Neck and the mainland underscores the era's reliance on established water routes before the expansion of modern road infrastructure. From the tip of Point Lookout to the northern reaches of Bucktown, the map captures a period when the bay's natural geography dictated the rhythm of local commerce and travel.