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1942 Map of Heceta Head

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Heceta Head
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Heceta Head and the dramatic Lane County coastline are documented here during the early 1940s, a period when the Oregon Coast Highway served as the primary artery through the Siuslaw National Forest. The landscape is defined by the intersection of freshwater lakes and the Pacific Ocean, with Mercer Lake, Sutton Lake, and Munsel Lake nestled behind the coastal dunes. The presence of the Coast Guard Station near the mouth of the Siuslaw River and fire lookouts atop Herman Peak and Cape Mtn reflect the strategic and protective infrastructure of the era.

Local settlement patterns are visible at Roosevelt Beach and Heceta Beach, while inland life centered around the Mercer Sch and Clover Ridge Farm. The Southern Pacific railroad corridor cuts through the southeastern corner at The Portage, linking the coastal timberlands to wider markets. From the heights of Fairview Mtn to the shoreline at Sealion Point, the map captures a functional landscape of maritime safety, rural education, and early highway development.