1939 Map of Donaldsonville

About this map

Mississippi River bends define the landscape of this late 1930s survey, where the sugar economy and river-borne industry converge. The map documents an era of transition as the Airline Highway and Illinois Central railroad lines modernized the region alongside traditional riverfront estates like Riverton Plantation and Conway Plantation. For genealogists, the sheet is exceptionally dense with parish history, specifically documenting integrated community centers such as Little Zion Sch Ch & Cem and St Landry Ch & Cem. Inland from the river, the Sorrento Oil Field and Darrow Oil Field signal the rise of the petroleum industry. The complex drainage network of Bayou Francois and the Panama Canal illustrates the extensive engineering required to manage the wetlands between the river and the Amite River basin.