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1954 Map of Leesville

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Leesville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Leesville serves as the primary hub of this Vernon Parish landscape during the mid-1950s, shown just as the town's footprint begins to expand with facilities like the J B Younger Infirmary and Leesville High School. The Kansas City Southern railroad remains the dominant industrial corridor, though several stretches of dismantled railroad through the piney woods indicate the shifting nature of the local timber economy. West of the town center, Anacoco Lake stands as a significant geographic anchor, fed by Caney Creek and Buck Creek.

The map reveals a dense network of small rural communities and family-named landmarks, including Anacoco, Hawthorne, and Pickering. Rural life is centered around a remarkable concentration of country churches and family burial grounds, such as Holly Grove Church, Shady Grove Church, and Smith Cem. Significant terrain features like Whiteoak Ridge and the complex drainage of the Savage Fork Bayou define the area's physical character, while the presence of the Leesville Lookout Tower reflects the ongoing importance of forest management.