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1960 Map of Empire

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Empire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Mississippi River defines the structure of this Plaquemines Parish landscape, with settlements and industries clinging to the narrow natural levees between the river and the marshy bays. Just before the 1960s, the era was characterized by the intensive expansion of the petroleum industry alongside traditional river life. Extensive infrastructure for the Potash Oil Field, Lake Washington Oil Field, and Cox Bay Oil Field is visible, alongside numerous pumping stations and towers that supported the extraction of resources from the wetlands.

Community life centers on the river road, where places like Port Sulphur, Empire, and Buras provide commercial hubs. Genealogists can locate several family-named and community landmarks, such as Macedonia Ch, 2nd Mt Zion Ch, and the Johnson Fisher Cem. The map reveals the intricate network of water bodies, including Bastian Bay and Quarantine Bay, illustrating a fragile ecosystem where the line between salt and fresh marsh remained indeterminate.