1953 Map of Central Isles Dernieres

About this map

Isles Dernieres stretches across this mid-century coastal survey, providing a detailed record of the barrier island chain before significant erosion and modern land-loss challenges. The map documents a complex aquatic environment where Pelican Lake and Lake Pelto meet the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The barrier system is punctuated by crucial tidal openings like Whiskey Pass and Coupe Nouvelle, which isolate Whiskey Island from the neighboring landmasses. Navigational markers such as a Light and a benchmark BM 2 assist in orienting this maritime landscape. While mostly uninhabited marsh and water, the presence of an Oil Well in the southern waters indicates the early footprint of the offshore energy industry that would come to define the economic character of the Terrebonne Parish coast in the decades following this 1953 survey.