1953 Map of Hattiesburg

About this map

The Piney Woods of South Mississippi and western Alabama are defined here by a dense network of river systems and timberlands during the mid-twentieth century. Major rail corridors including the Illinois Central and Mississippi Central converge at Hattiesburg, while the Gulf Mobile and Ohio services the eastern lumber and agriculture belts. Large tracts of protected land, notably the De Soto National Forest and Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, dominate the landscape between the Leaf River and the Tombigbee River. This survey captures the region just as the modern highway system was expanding, with Us 49 and Us 11 connecting established regional centers like Laurel and Waynesboro. From the Strong River in the north to Citronelle in the south, the map illustrates a landscape of small rural settlements and river-based industry.