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1944 Map of Gibson

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Gibson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Chacahoula Bayou and Bayou Black dictate the settlement patterns of this Louisiana delta landscape, where communities like Gibson and Donner grew alongside the Southern Pacific railroad line. The map reveals the intricate water management of the era, from the Intracoastal Waterway to a complex network of private and municipal canals including the Philip Canal and Hanson Canal. Local life is anchored by family and community landmarks such as Rose Hill Ch, Magnolia Sch, and the Beattieville Gray PO.

A notable industry footprint is visible through the Old Logging RR and a Narrow Gage RR near Mandalay, indicating the importance of timber and perhaps sugar to the local economy. The terrain transitions from the structured drainage of the upper bayous toward the wetlands of Mauvais Bois Bayou and Lake Hatch, illustrating how early 20th-century inhabitants adapted to the transition between arable land and the deep swamp.