1946 Map of Hayes

About this map

Hayes and the surrounding coastal prairie transition into the sprawling marshlands of the Calcasieu Parish and Jefferson Davis Parish borderlands in the mid-1940s. The landscape is defined by an extensive water management network designed for rice cultivation and drainage, featuring the Bell City Drainage Canal and the Morgan Canal. Industry is represented by the Illinois Plant and specialized infrastructure like the Guillory Pump House. The Southern Pacific railroad cuts across the northern reaches, serving small settlements and sidings like Pansy Spur and Rossignol. To the south, the terrain softens into Willow Marsh and the distinctive Wild Island, where the meandering Bayou Lacassine and Bayou Chene dictate the natural geography. This survey provides a precise view of the rural infrastructure and agricultural patterns before late-century developments altered the local hydrology.