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1960 Map of De Ridder

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of De Ridder
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The rail-driven growth of De Ridder serves as the focal point of this 1960 survey, where the Kansas City Southern Ry and Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Ry converge. This junction established the town as a regional hub for the timber and agricultural industries of southwestern Louisiana. The landscape surrounding the city is a complex network of waterways, including Anacoco Bayou and Marsh Bayou, which define the boundary between Vernon and Beauregard Parishes.

Rural life is marked by numerous country churches and schools that anchored small timber communities like Ludington, Rosepine, and Bon Ami. To the south, an Oil Field near Neale indicates the diversification of the local economy beyond lumber. Genealogists will find many family landmarks, such as Miller Cem, and small congregations like Lillie Ch and Cypress Creek Ch, providing a detailed view of the parish's mid-century social geography.