1893 Map of Chandeleur

About this map

Chandeleur Sound dominates this late nineteenth-century hydrographic study, illustrating the complex network of barrier islands and tidal passes along the Louisiana coast. Compiled by H.L. Baldwin Jr. from 1891 surveys, the map reveals a fragile landscape where narrow landforms like Mitchell Key and smaller outliers such as Barrel Key stand against the Gulf. The maritime character of the region is evident in the naming of critical navigation channels, including Elephant Point Pass and Keelboat Pass. Notable terrestrial features are sparse but significant for coastal history, including Martin Island, Holmes Island, and the land at Pt. Comfort. This sheet provides a baseline for understanding the geomorphology of the St. Bernard Parish shoreline before the significant coastal erosion of the twentieth century, detailing the exact configuration of Live Oak Bayou as it appeared during the J.W. Powell administration of the Geological Survey.