1942 Map of Taylors Island

About this map

Taylors Island and the surrounding marshy necks of Dorchester County define this 1942 survey of the Eastern Shore. The landscape is a complex network of tidal guts and coves where the Chesapeake Bay meets the mainland. Small settlements like Smithville and the village at Taylors Island serve as centers for a community deeply tied to the water, connected by State Routes 16 and 335. Local landmarks such as Bethlehem Ch and Grace Ch provide critical anchor points for genealogists and family historians tracing the early 20th-century social geography of this region. The map details the intricate shoreline of Slaughter Creek and Robinson Neck, illustrating a world of landings and island passages including Dunnock Island and the open waters of The Big Broads. This survey was conducted just as aerial photogrammetry began to precisely document the shifting marshes and coastal boundaries of Maryland's tidewater country.