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1959 Map of Deep Lake

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Deep Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Atlantic Coast Line railroad cuts a straight north-south path through this 1959 landscape, serving as the primary anchor for human activity in the heart of the Big Cypress swamp. The small settlement of Deep Lake is the focal point of the sheet, situated near Hollywood Head and a documented Prison Camp. The map reveals a delicate balance between early infrastructure and the surrounding environment, where high ground is scarce and often given specific names like Rock Island.

The vast wetlands are meticulously categorized into distinct zones, from the dense cypress of Fakahatchee Strand and Deep Lake Strand to the open expanses of Fire Prairie and Airplane Prairie. To the south, the settlement of Jerome marks the edge of the survey area, while an Old Railroad Grade in the northeast suggests earlier logging or transit routes that had already begun to recede into the landscape.