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1953 Map of Lake Jessamine

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Lake Jessamine
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Big Sand Lake and its surrounding wetlands dominate the western landscape of this Orange County region, illustrating the transition from natural citrus-era hydrology to mid-century suburban expansion. The 1970 photo-revisions highlight the rapid growth of communities like Tangelo Park and Sky Lake, appearing as purple-tinted urban extensions against the original 1953 survey. The infrastructure of the era is clearly marked by the Florida's Turnpike Toll Road cutting across the center, supported by a network of tollgates and substations.

To the east, the established rail economy is represented by the Seaboard Coast Line, which runs through Pine Castle and Edgewood. Local cultural landmarks of the period are captured in detail, from the Drive-in Theater and Lookout Tower near Morningside Park to the historic Oak Ridge Cemetery. Numerous smaller water bodies, including Rattlesnake Lake and Lake Jessamine, dot the landscape, reflecting the intricate lake-system ecology typical of the Florida interior before contemporary development.