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1957 Map of Sumter West

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Sumter West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Shaw Air Force Base dominates the northern landscape of this Sumter County region, appearing here in the late 1950s with its hospital, control tower, and Shaw Heights housing area. The terrain is defined by the unique Carolina Bay formations, marked on the map as elliptical outlines such as Green Bay and Cypress Bay. These features, along with Pitts Savanna, reveal the distinctive wetlands and drainage patterns of the coastal plain.

Rural life is anchored by a dense network of country churches and schools, including St Pauls Ch, Reese Chapel, and the Catchall-Spann Sch. Industry and recreation are evidenced by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the presence of the Cane Savannah Raceway. Much of the southwestern portion is dedicated to the Manchester State Forest, which includes the State Forest Nursery and several small ponds like Old Millpond.