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1906 Map of Wilmington

Name: 1906 Topographic Map of Wilmington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal cuts a prominent east-west line across the lower half of this landscape, anchoring a complex network of maritime and rail infrastructure at the turn of the century. Military interests are well-represented by a trio of defenses guarding the Delaware River channel: Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Id, Fort Mott on the eastern shore, and Fort Dupont near Delaware City. To the north, the industrial footprint of Wilmington and New Castle is evident through extensive rail corridors like the Philadelphia Mill R R and the Maryland Division line.

Agricultural and early suburban developments are visible in smaller settlements such as Brandywine Springs, Marshallton, and Coochs Bridge. The survey illustrates the critical transition of the region's transport economy, where old turnpikes and rural crossroads like Hares Corner and Stanton began to integrate with an expanding industrial grid of mills and marshland reclamations like the Cherry Island Marsh.