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1949 Map of Gueydan

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Gueydan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Mermentau River and Bayou Queue De Tortue dominate this corner of Southwest Louisiana, where three parish lines meet. The landscape is defined by the convergence of Jefferson Davis, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes, illustrating a region reliant on a complex network of man-made waterways like the Kaplan Canal and State Canal.

Settlement is concentrated around Gueydan and the community of Riceville, both connected by the Southern Pacific railroad line. Local history is etched into the land at the Legia Cem and through numerous irrigation infrastructures, such as the various Pump House stations positioned along the bayou curves. This map captures the coastal prairie's transition into a managed agricultural grid, showing the precise placement of state highways and ditches that drained the wetlands for development.