1956 Map of Duette

About this map

The small settlement of Duette sits at a crossroads in eastern Manatee County, marking one of the few concentrated areas of habitation in this mid-century landscape. The surrounding terrain is defined by a dense network of tributaries and wetlands, where the North Fork, East Fork, and West Fork Manatee River converge to shape the headwaters of one of the region's primary drainage systems. Further east, the meandering course of Horse Creek and its tributary Brushy Creek run parallel to the Manatee Co Hardee Co boundary, illustrating the natural water boundaries that once influenced land division and agricultural patterns. The survey, grounded in 1950s planetable work and 1951 aerial photography, documents a period of Florida's interior before significant modern drainage projects or large-scale development altered these rural wetlands.