Loading map...

1956 Map of Bastrop

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Bastrop
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The city of Bastrop serves as the focal point of this mid-1950s survey of Morehouse Parish, anchored by its High School, West Side School, and industrial footprints like the Gas and Oil Field to the north. The landscape is defined by the winding course of Bartholomew Bayou and Chemin-a-Haut Bayou, which frame the agricultural and timbered lowlands. This era captures the transition of the local economy, shown through the expansion of Newblock and the presence of the Arkansas Louisiana Missouri and Missouri Pacific railroads, which facilitated trade between settlements like Mer Rouge and Beekman.

Rural life is meticulously documented through numerous country churches and schools, such as Washington Chapel, New Baptist Ch, and Union Sch. The northern border with Arkansas is marked by the Chemin-a-Haut State Park and the rugged drainage of Snake Creek. From the Beekman Lookout Tower to the Drive-in Theater near the city center, the map preserves the mid-century infrastructure of a Louisiana parish seat.