1892 Map of Donaldsonville

About this map

Donaldsonville sits at a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, serving as a focal point for the river-and-rail economy of the late nineteenth century. This survey reveals a landscape defined by long-lot land divisions that stretch back from the riverbanks into the expansive wetlands of Ascension, Assumption, and St James parishes. These narrow ribbons of land provided river access to numerous riverfront settlements and landings such as Belle Helene, Burnside, Lauderdale, and Convent.