1961 Map of Castor Creek

About this map

The Calcasieu River and Bayou Nezpique define the hydrologic character of this Southwest Louisiana landscape, where the dense drainage of Castor Creek and Bayou Blue cuts through the piney woods and prairies. This 1961 survey documents a transitional economy where timber and agriculture meet emerging energy extraction, evidenced by the Gas Field near Reddell and scattered Oil Wells across the parishes. The presence of an Old Railroad Grade north of Merry Gully indicates the shifting logistics of the region, while the Missouri Pacific RR remains an active corridor through Oberlin. Genealogists will find significant value in the numerous family-named landmarks, such as McGee Cem, Sonnier Cem, and the St Johns Chapel, which anchor the small communities of Guy and Hampton to their nineteenth-century roots.