Loading map...

1939 Map of Locust Ridge

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Locust Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Thistle Ridge Plantation and Buckhorn Plantation anchor a landscape defined by the serpentine meanders of the Mississippi River along the border of Louisiana and Mississippi. This 1939 survey, revised from earlier 1930s data, illustrates the complex hydrology of the Tensas Basin, where Big Choctaw Bayou and Little Choctaw Bayou thread through a network of plantation lands and small settlements. The area shows a transition from river-dependent agriculture to rail-connected commerce, with the Vicksburg New Orleans line cutting across the terrain.

Local history and genealogy are deeply embedded in the numerous rural landmarks, including the New China Grove Ch, Goldbell Ch, and the combined Greenfield Ch & Sch. Significant water bodies like Lake Bruin and Jackson Lake appear alongside engineering efforts such as the St Peter Drainage Canal, reflecting the ongoing struggle to manage the delta's fertile but flood-prone soils. The map also meticulously records meander lines and cut-offs, such as the Rodney Cut-Off, tracing the river's historical shifts.