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1956 Map of Hecker

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Hecker
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Calcasieu River defines the western edge of this coastal prairie landscape, winding past Point Fine and Stackpole Island near the small settlement of Hecker. In the mid-1950s, this area was a hub of resource extraction and agriculture, dominated by the sprawling infrastructure of the Iowa Oil and Gas Field. Dozens of Oil Wells and Gas Wells are scattered across the southern sections, while an extensive network of artificial waterways, including the Louisiana Irrigation Canal and Jones Canal, supported the local rice farming economy.

Local family history is centered around the Hebert Cem and La France Cem, along with the small community of Le Bleu. The terrain is a maze of bayous and gullies, such as Serpent Bayou, Hickman Bayou, and Kinner Gully, which drain into the main river system. This survey documents the transition from the wilder swamp and bayou margins to the highly engineered landscape of the oil fields and irrigation districts.