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1954 Map of Abbeville

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Abbeville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Abbeville serves as the focal point of this coastal Louisiana survey, where the Vermilion River snakes southward toward the marshlands and Vermilion Bay. The landscape is a complex network of natural bayous and man-made canals, reflecting an economy built on both water-based transport and the extraction industry. To the east, the Erath Oil and Gas Field and a nearby oil refinery mark the mid-century industrial footprint, while the Southern Pacific railroad connects settlements like Erath and Nunez.

Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, including the Live Oak Plantation and numerous rural houses of worship such as Briggs Chapel and Pleasant Grove Ch. The transition from the settled prairies near Valcourt to the uninhabited marshes is marked by named timbered stands and islands, including Big Woods Island and Palmetto Island. Significant infrastructure of the era, from the Intracostal Waterway to various pumping stations and radio towers, illustrate the technological management of this low-lying terrain.