1892 Map of Donaldsonville

About this map

Donaldsonville serves as the focal point of this riverine landscape, positioned at a sharp bend where the Mississippi River meets the intricate bayou network of south Louisiana. The geography is defined by the long-lot plantation patterns that stretch back from the riverbanks, a traditional land division visible in the narrow, parallel lines of ownership. This late 19th-century survey documents a critical period of transition as the Texas and Pacific and the Louisville New Orleans and Texas railroads began to parallel the river, competing with the established steamboat trade.