1952 Map of Swansboro

About this map

Swansboro sits at the confluence of the White Oak River and the complex tidal waters of Bogue Sound in the early 1950s. This survey, compiled from 1949 aerial photography and field checks, captures the coastal landscape as it transitioned into a more modern military and recreational era. The US Military Reservation (Bogue Airfield) dominates the eastern waterfront, while the northern interior remains heavily wooded under the Croatan National Forest, marked by the Peletier Fire Tower. Navigation is a central theme of the map, detailing the Intracoastal Waterway and various channels like Burthen Channel and Main Channel. The long stretch of Bogue Banks protects the sound from the Atlantic Ocean, punctuated by a solitary Coast Guard Station near the shifting sands of Bogue Inlet. Small communities like Peletier, Cedar Point, and Bucks Corner provide a look at mid-century settlement patterns along the region's early road network.