Loading map...

1937 Map of Bellwood

Name: 1937 Topographic Map of Bellwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

Kisatchie National Forest dominates this mid-1930s landscape, where the wooded terrain of Natchitoches Parish is segmented by a network of bayous and early state highways. The settlement of Bellwood serves as a local hub near the junction of State Highway No 39 and State Highway No 611, surrounded by a distribution of rural institutions that reflect the area's social fabric. Small country churches like Mt Nebo Ch and Harmony Ch are scattered across the quadrangle, often accompanied by family-named burial grounds such as Roberts Cem.

Transportation in this era was defined by a mix of infrastructure, from the Texas and Pacific railroad corridor in the northeast corner to the remote Beasley Crossing. The intricate drainage system, including Bayou Santabarb and Middle Creek, underscores the challenges of early road building in the Louisiana piney woods. Notable local landmarks like Weaver Camp and Hickory Grove Ch provide specific points of interest for genealogists tracing families in the western reaches of the parish.