1943 Map of Laguna Beach

About this map

Laguna Beach and the adjacent Gulf Resort Beach characterize this coastal survey, documented just as World War II-era military presence influenced the Florida panhandle. The map, based on a 1943 survey by Lee Morrison, shows the nascent development of these seaside communities along the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond the immediate shoreline settlements, the interior remains largely undeveloped, defined by low-lying wetlands and intermittent marshes. This specific moment in the mid-1940s captures the region before the massive post-war boom transformed these quiet beach outposts into a continuous stretch of coastal tourism. The sparse layout of roads and structures provides a clear view of the original footprint of these settlements before they were subsumed by modern expansion.