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1902 Map of Tarboro

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Tarboro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Tarboro and West Tarboro serve as the hub of this Edgecombe County landscape at the start of the twentieth century, where the Tar River meets a bustling network of commerce and transit. The river still actively supported a Steamboat Route, which navigated past Suggs Landing and Old Sparta. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Coast Line railroad bisected the territory, connecting rural outposts like Kingsboro and Medora to the county seat.

The map reveals an intricate drainage system including the Cromwell Canal and named swamps such as Cokey Swamp and Hatcher Swamp, which dictated the pattern of early settlement. Beyond the main towns, life centered around points like Bullocks Crossroads and Wiggins Crossroads, alongside numerous mills including Sasnett Mill Branch and Bynums Mill Creek. This survey captures the transition from river-dependent trade to a rail-centered economy, seen in the growth of Runnymede and the established presence of Princeville.