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1952 Map of Lake Arbuckle NE

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Lake Arbuckle NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Avon Park Air Force Base dominates the southern landscape of this mid-century Florida interior survey, illustrating the significant military presence in Polk and Highlands counties. The base infrastructure is rendered in detail, including the Hdqrs Area, a Hospital, and a Beacon, all served by the dedicated Government Railroad line. The layout of the base and its connection to the Avon Park Bombing Range to the north reflects the strategic mobilization of central Florida for aerial training during the early Cold War era.

Water management and natural hydrology define the western edge, where Lake Arbuckle meets the Bombing Range Boundary. Waterways such as Arbuckle Creek and Morgan Hole Creek wind through the terrain, while the Rim Canal provides a stark contrast as an engineered drainage feature typical of Florida's mid-century land reclamation efforts. The map captures a moment when military expansion and hydraulic engineering were actively reshaping this subtropical wilderness.