1953 Map of Lake Marian SW

About this map

Brahma Island dominates the northern waters where the vast Lake Kissimmee begins to funnel into the southward-flowing Kissimmee River. This early 1950s survey by the U.S. Corps of Engineers details a landscape defined by expansive wetlands and seasonally flooded prairies at the border of Osceola and Polk Counties. The map reveals a distinct pattern of hammocks—elevated islands of hardwood vegetation amidst the marshes—bearing names like Redskin Hammock, Wildcat Hammock, and Buzzard Hammock. These features, along with a solitary Pumping Station and a notable Levee, indicate a period when water management efforts were actively shaping the drainage of central Florida. The presence of descriptively named waterways such as Buttermilk Slough and Ice Cream Slough suggests a landscape tied to local cattle ranching and agricultural history, while Blanket Bay marks the river's wider reaches before it enters its more channelized southern course.