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1970 Map of Topsail

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Topsail
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Holly Shelter State Wildlife Management Area dominates this coastal Pender County landscape, preserving a complex environment of pocosin and wetlands. The orthophotomosaic detail reveals the intricate drainage patterns of Holly Shelter Swamp and Trumpeter Swamp, where the dark water and dense vegetation are bisected by historic access routes like Military Road and Tram Road. These corridors hint at the area's timber and transit history long before it was formal wildlife territory.

Along the southeastern edge, the map captures the narrow barrier island of Topsail Beach and the protected waters of Topsail Sound, separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway. Settlement is concentrated along the Seaboard Coast Line and nearby highways, featuring rural landmarks such as Union Bethel Ch, Olive Grove Ch, and the community of Woodside. This 1970 snapshot provides a clear view of the transition from dense inland swamp to the developing Atlantic coastline.