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1938 Map of Luling

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Luling
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

The Mississippi River dominates this mid-1930s landscape, flanked by a dense network of river-town settlements and intricate drainage systems. On the west bank, communities like Luling and Lone Star are situated on the natural levee, while the east bank features Destrehan, St Rose, and the edge of Kenner. This period captures the region's transition into a modern transport corridor, showing the newly established Airline Highway and three major rail lines—the Illinois Central Railroad, Texas and Pacific Railroad, and Southern Pacific Railroad—parallel to the river.

A notable geological and historical mark on the west bank is the Davis Crevasse of 1884 near Davis, a scar from a massive levee breach that historically flooded much of the area. Away from the riverfront, the map details the transition into the wetlands of the southern parish, marked by named bayous like Bayou des Saules and Bayou Cypriere, and a complex grid of agricultural canals including the Lanaux Canal and Boundary Line Canal.