1934 Map of Holly Beach

About this map

Holly Beach sits at the narrow threshold between the vast marshlands of Cameron Parish and the open Gulf of Mexico. Surveyed in the mid-1930s, this landscape is defined by the complex hydrology of the Chenier Plain, where freshwater bayous meet the tidal influence of Calcasieu Lake. The map reveals a delicate network of waterways including Second Bayou, Mud Bayou, and the winding Mud Pass, which connects the expansive Mud Lake to the Gulf. The coastal environment is marked by significant features like Rabbit Island and St Johns Island, while a solitary State Highway provides the primary terrestrial link along the shoreline. For those studying the evolution of the Louisiana coast, the detailed drainage patterns and land lines added from General Land Office records show a geography shaped by both natural deposition and early infrastructure such as the Back Ridge and various drainage ditches.