Maps: Aerial

At the Gaston County Interactive GIS website, you can select "Optional Map Layers" on the right side menu. Select "Historical B & W Imagery" to choose black and white aerial photographs for different years (1938, 1951, 1956, 1968, 1979, 1984, 1997).
Go to: https://gis.gastongov.com/ 

NCSU provides a list of Digital aerial imagery and orthophotography websites.

Go to: https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/gis/orthophotos.html

The North Carolina Geological Survey has a collection of historic aerial photographs in their Raleigh office.

Go to: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/energy-mineral-land-resources/north-carolina-geological-survey/aerial-photos

The collection is black and white aerial stereo pair photographs taken in the 1950's and early 1960's of many of North Carolina's counties.
View a list of Historical Aerial Photographs of available counties.

South Carolina Aerial Photograph Indexes, 1937–1989 "This digital collection comprises over 1,700 index sheets from over 300 aerial photographic surveys of South Carolina. These surveys, conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, produced thousands of square aerial photographs."
Go to: https://digital.library.sc.edu/collections/south-carolina-aerial-photograph-indexes-1937-1989/

"The Lay of the Land" featuring vintage aerial views of Gastonia, from "Vintage Gastonia" by Timothy Craig Ellis.

https://vintagegastonia.com/the-lay-of-the-land

Search, browse, and download aerial photography for the entire state at NC OneMap.

Go to: https://www.nconemap.gov/

The USGS EarthExplorer has a wide range of aerial imagery covering decades.

Go to: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

View satellite images and street level views with Google Maps.

Go to: https://www.google.com/maps/

The USDA has the Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) which houses aerial film. They have aerial image coverage of most of the United States and its territories. NOTE: The Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) website content has moved to Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Geospatial Enterprise Operations (GEO).

Go to: https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/geospatial-services

Mid 1930’s  – 1954 USDA imagery available at National Archives.
Online indexes for some areas are available.
Go to: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/305871

Gaston County, N.C.

Index to Aerial Photography of Gaston County, North Carolina 1
This item was produced or created in 1938.
Go to: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/138928457

Index to Aerial Photography of Gaston County, North Carolina 1 
This item was produced or created in 1951.
Go to: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/138928461

Index to Aerial Photography of Gaston County, North Carolina 2
This item was produced or created in 1938.
Go to: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/138928459