{"product_id":"old-map-of-bluffton-south-carolina-by-usgs-1945-hilton-head-island-tybee-island-calibogue-sound","title":"Old Map of Bluffton, South Carolina by USGS, 1945 – Hilton Head Island, Tybee Island \u0026 Calibogue Sound","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1945 by the U.S. Geological Survey, “Bluffton” presents the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry at a compelling historical moment, just as the United States emerged from World War II with renewed attention to coastal geography, infrastructure, and strategic planning. At a 1:62,500 scale, the map captures Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Tybee Island, Daufuskie Island, and the intricate waterways that define this tidal landscape. Its subject is not a single town so much as an entire coastal system: rivers, sounds, marshes, islands, roads, trails, and ocean approaches woven together in precise mid-century cartographic language. The result is a richly informative portrait of a region balanced between rural isolation, maritime tradition, and the coming decades of development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey was, by 1945, the nation’s authoritative mapper of terrain, producing topographical sheets essential to engineers, planners, soldiers, scientists, and local governments. This map reflects that institutional precision: elevation contours are carefully drawn, roads and trails are plainly registered, and water features receive particular emphasis in a landscape where land and sea constantly intermingle. The cartographic style is characteristic of the period, using clear color distinctions to separate landforms, water bodies, marshlands, and human routes. Unlike decorative earlier maps, this is a working document of measured observation, yet it has a quiet elegance of its own. Its fine network of creeks, channels, and coastal margins reveals the Lowcountry as a place best understood through topography and tide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBluffton itself appears near the May River, a setting that explains much of the town’s historic character and enduring appeal. Long associated with river life, fishing, boating, and antebellum coastal settlement, Bluffton occupies a strategic position between inland South Carolina and the barrier islands edging the Atlantic. Nearby Hilton Head Island is shown before its transformation into a celebrated resort destination, when its landscape was still marked more by roads, marsh, woods, and shoreline than by modern development. Calibogue Sound, separating Hilton Head from Daufuskie Island and the mainland, forms one of the map’s most important geographical features. Its channels and tidal flats evoke the navigational complexity that has shaped local commerce, settlement, and military awareness for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo the south, Tybee Island and Little Tybee Island anchor the Georgia side of the map, guarding the approaches to the Savannah River and the Atlantic Ocean. The “End of the Tybee Roads” marks a historically significant maritime area, associated with coastal navigation, anchorage, and the seaward entrance toward Savannah. The inclusion of Bull River, Wassaw Island, and surrounding marshlands deepens the map’s portrayal of a dynamic barrier-island environment. These are not merely peripheral details; they form the living framework of the coast, where tides, shoals, inlets, and shifting channels govern movement. For anyone interested in maritime geography, the map offers a disciplined view of a coast where safe passage depended upon intimate knowledge of water as much as land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe broader reach of the map extends toward Port Royal Sound, St. Helena Sound, Fripp Island, Edisto Island, and Pritchards Island, situating Bluffton within the larger Sea Islands region of South Carolina and Georgia. This is a landscape of low elevations, broad marshes, tidal rivers, and Atlantic exposure, rendered through contours and hydrographic detail rather than dramatic mountain relief. Its historical significance lies partly in its date: 1945, when accurate coastal mapping remained vital to national defense, postwar development, transportation planning, and resource management. Today, the map offers a fascinating glimpse of the Lowcountry before the full force of late twentieth-century growth reshaped Hilton Head and neighboring islands. It records a coastal world of creeks, ferries, rural roads, and open shorelines with remarkable clarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBluffton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHilton Head Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTybee Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDaufuskie Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMay River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCalibogue Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBull River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLittle Tybee Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAtlantic Ocean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSt. Helena Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFripp Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEdisto Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWassaw Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePritchards Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Royal Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChichos River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious marshland areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMajor roads and trails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaterways and channels\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElevation contours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnd of the Tybee Roads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1945.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:62,500 topographical map of Bluffton, South Carolina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Tybee Island, Georgia, and the surrounding coastal region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated shortly after World War II, reflecting the era’s focus on mapping for development, national use, military strategy, and city planning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the U.S. Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical maps used in military and civil planning.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows coastal geography including marshlands, waterways, and elevation contours.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color to distinguish landforms and water bodies, in a style consistent with mid-20th-century cartography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights the Lowcountry’s tidal landscape, including May River and Calibogue Sound.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBluffton is notable for its historic charm and proximity to water activities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58815430394240,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58815430427008,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58815430459776,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58815430492544,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58815430525312,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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