1943 Map of Wade Point

About this map

The Naval Air Base occupies a prominent position on the peninsula near New Begun Creek, reflecting the strategic importance of the Albemarle region during the early 1940s. This survey, compiled by the War Department's Corps of Engineers, details the low-lying coastal landscape where the Pasquotank River and Little River meet the broad expanse of Albemarle Sound. Small farming and fishing settlements such as Weeksville, Winslow, and Salem are connected by a network of early roads, while more isolated locations like Old Trap and Durants Neck sit at the edges of the tidewater. The map shows a landscape defined by its relation to the water, with numerous inlets like Big Flatty Creek and marshes such as Beaver Dam Swamp shaping the distribution of houses and farms. Landmarks like Wade Point and Frog Island mark the transition from protected creeks to the open sound.