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1911 Map of Lake Providence

Name: 1911 Topographic Map of Lake Providence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The oxbow of Lake Providence and the shifting course of the Mississippi River define this corner of Northeast Louisiana in the early twentieth century. This survey, conducted in cooperation with the Fifth Louisiana Levee District, documents the critical interface between the river's hydrology and the established plantation economy. Large estates including Belle Mead Plantation, Buck Meadows Plantation, and Tyrone Plantation occupy the fertile lands protected by the levee system, while the Iron Mountain and Southern railroad connects the parish seat to wider markets.

Evidence of deeper history appears at the Indian Mounds near Cane Ridge Church, while the contemporary landscape is dotted with rural social centers like the Wintersfield School and Sweet Canaan Church. Industrial activity is represented by the Walker and Fishers Sawmill, reflecting the timber interests of the era. The presence of Stack Island and Hagerman Break illustrates the river's volatile nature before modern navigation and flood control fully stabilized the channel.