Loading map...

1959 Map of Wilmington

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Wilmington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Delaware River corridor and the expansive South Jersey landscape are documented here during a period of post-war infrastructure growth. Centered on the industrial hubs of Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Camden, the map reveals a complex transportation network where the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Railroad intersect with emerging modern thoroughfares like the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

Along the Atlantic coast, the sheet captures the barrier island geography from Seaside Heights down to Absecon Island, home to Atlantic City. Strategic maritime history is evident at the mouth of the river, where Fort Delaware and Fort Mott stand watch over the shipping lanes. The map also details the transition from the densely settled suburbs of West Chester and Woodbury to the tidal marshes of Bombay Hook Island and the pine-forested interior around Mays Landing and Hammonton.