Pamlico River

Washington D.C.: Published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1920. Large folding nautical chart, printed on heavy paper stock. Colored. A rare original coastal survey of the Pamlico River including Washington, Aurora, Bath, and the Tar River.

Established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was the United States' first civilian scientific agency. This agency has followed its mission to survey the U.S. coastline, create nautical charts of the coast, and help increase maritime safety since its founding, and has often played fascinating roles in significant chapters of U.S. history. It served in all theaters of the Civil War in the service of the Union Army and Navy, pioneered acoustic exploration in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic, and during WWI it worked to detect enemy submarines. In addition, this agency worked to survey and produce detailed maps and renderings of the U.S. coast. These nautical survey maps (commonly referred to as "T-sheets") provide fascinating insights into the history of the United States coastline, which has and will continue to shift. These maps are the most important data source for understanding the physical and ecological characteristics of the U.S. shoreline. The present map is notable for the inclusion of Bath, the first town in North Carolina founded in 1705, and Washington which is also known as the "Original Washington" or "Little Washington." Washington, first called Forks of the Tar, changed its name in 1776 to honor General George Washington, making Washington the first town to be named after the First President. The map a highly detailed and accurate sea chart of Pamlico River, and an important historical view of the developing North Carolina.