1939 Map of Chalmette

About this map

The Mississippi River defines the landscape of St. Bernard Parish in the mid-1930s, winding past the historic grounds of Chalmette Nat Mon and the adjacent Chalmette Nat Cem. This era shows a transition from plantation-style land divisions to early 20th-century settlements like Versailles, Meraux, and Violet, all linked by the Southern railroad and the Paris Road. The map provides a detailed view of the complex hydraulic engineering of the delta, featuring the Lake Borgne Canal, the Norman Canal, and the extensive Back Protection Levee designed to manage the surrounding marshlands. To the north, the winding courses of Bayou Bienvenue and Bayou Villere reflect the original natural drainage before the intensification of industrial and residential development near Chalmette. South of the great bend at English Turn, smaller landings and settlements such as Little Rock and Stanton line the river's edge.