1893 Map of East Delta

About this map

The Mississippi River delta fingers into the Gulf of Mexico, revealing a precarious landscape of shifting mud and essential maritime infrastructure in the late nineteenth century. Port Eads sits at the terminus of South Pass, anchored by the South Pass Light and a system of jetties designed to maintain a navigable channel. Further north, the settlement of Balize is nestled along Balize Bayou, near the curious site of the Old Spanish Magazine. This area is characterized by emerging landforms like the North Pass Mud Lumps and South Mud Lumps, which illustrate the constant sediment deposition of the river. Navigational aids are prominent, including the Pass A Loutre Light and a Revenue Station along the Pass a Loutre. The map traces the intricate network of distributaries such as North Pass and North East Pass, which separate vast water bodies like Blind Bay and Garden Island Bay.