1954 Map of Leesville

About this map

Leesville serves as the regional hub for this portion of West Louisiana, showing significant growth by the late 1960s with its urban extent expanding toward Billy Goat Hill. The landscape is defined by the massive Anacoco Lake and a complex network of waterways, including Anacoco Creek and its many branches like Holly Grove Branch. The economic and social fabric of the era is visible through the Kansas City Southern railroad line and a dense distribution of rural institutions, such as the Oak Forest School and numerous community landmarks like the J B Younger Infirmary. A striking feature of the map is the network of dismantled railroads snaking through the timberlands, tracing the older paths of the region's logging history. These former rail beds, combined with older settlements like Pickering and Newllano, offer a look at a landscape transitioning from its industrial timber roots to more modern residential and recreational patterns.