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1893 Map of Fort Livingston

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Fort Livingston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

Ft. Livingston and its associated Light stand as the primary human landmark at the threshold between Barataria Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. This coastal landscape, surveyed in the late 19th century, is dominated by an intricate network of marshes, barrier islands, and tidal channels. The boundary between Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes cuts through these waters, which include expansive features like Lake Grande Ecaille and the narrow, winding Bayou St. Denis.

The map reveals a fragile geography where every point of land is less than five feet above sea level. Named features like Grande Terre Island and Grand Isle provide a glimpse into the maritime environment before significant 20th-century coastal changes. Notable smaller landmarks such as Queen Bess Id. and Independence Id. are documented alongside numerous smaller bays like Bay Dispute and Bay Melville, illustrating the complex hydrology of the Mississippi Delta shelf.