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1977 Map of Fort Polk

Name: 1977 Topographic Map of Fort Polk
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Fort Polk Military Reservation dominates this 1977 landscape, revealing the complex coexistence of military infrastructure and rural Louisiana life. While the southern sections show concentrated development around North Fort Polk and the Fort Polk Army Airfield, the surrounding terrain is heavily timbered within the Kisatchie National Forest. A network of numbered cemeteries, such as Cemetery No 6 and Cemetery No 10, are scattered throughout the training grounds, marking the locations of former communities and family homesteads absorbed by the installation.

Beyond the base boundaries, the settlements of Simpson, Slagle, and Hicks maintain their rural character. The map traces the hydrological transition from the Calcasieu River in the north to the headwaters of Whiskey Chitto Creek in the south. Notably, a dismantled railroad cuts across the eastern sector, reflecting the region's earlier timber-driven economy before the mid-century expansion of the military mission.