1951 Map of Chalmette

About this map

The Mississippi River defines this landscape below New Orleans, where the river's sharp curve at English Turn dictated early settlement patterns and defensive infrastructure. In the early 1950s, the area reflects a transition from plantation-era geometry to post-war residential expansion, seen in developments like Chalmette Vista and St Claude Heights. The heavy presence of the U S Naval Reservation and the Louisiana Southern railroad underscores the strategic industrial and military importance of the river corridor. Significant commemorative sites, including the Chalmette Nat Mon and Chalmette Nat Cem, mark the ground where the Battle of New Orleans was fought. Beyond the levees, the map reveals a vast network of marshes drained by the Bayou Bienvenue and Bayou Ducros, crisscrossed by drainage canals such as the Fortification Canal.