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1954 Map of Lake Charles

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Lake Charles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Lake Charles serves as the industrial and logistical anchor for this Southwest Louisiana landscape during a mid-century period of intense petroleum development. The map reveals an intricate network of specialized resource extraction, where countless sites like the Sulphur Mines Oil Field and Starks Oil and Gas Field dot the prairie and marshland. These energy hubs are interconnected by a robust transportation grid, including the Intracoastal Waterway and major rail lines such as the Southern Pacific and Kansas City Southern.

Beyond the urban and industrial zones, the survey details the transition into the wilder reaches of the Black Marsh and the protected acreage of the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. In the northern sections, the timberlands of the Kisatchie National Forest provide a stark contrast to the rice-growing regions near Crowley and Jennings, where the Mermentau River and Bayou Nezpique irrigation patterns are visible. The inclusion of Chennault AFB highlights the era's military footprint within the Calcasieu Parish region.