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1956 Map of Beacon Hill

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Beacon Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The coastal transition from Bay to Gulf County is defined by a landscape of barrier formations and saltwater sounds during the mid-1950s. At the heart of the coastline, Mexico Beach appears as a growing seaside settlement adjacent to a Landing Field, while further east, the small community of Beacon Hill sits near the lighthouse Lights overlooking the northern reach of St Joseph Bay.

Military activity within Tyndall Air Force Base dominates the western half of the map, featuring a designated Gunnery Range and vast uninhabited stretches of Bear Swamp. Navigational features like the Intracoastal Waterway and the Entrance Channel suggest a maritime economy centered on the protected waters of St Andrew Sound and Wild Goose Lagoon, where the narrow Raffield Peninsula provides a natural buffer against the Gulf of Mexico.