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1962 Map of Marksville

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Marksville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Marksville and the expansive Avoyelles Prairie dominate this mid-century topographic record, showing a landscape defined by the serpentine path of the Red River and a complex network of backwater bayous. The settlement pattern follows the higher ground, with established towns like Mansura and Hessmer connected by the Kansas City Southern and Texas and Pacific railroads. Cultural depth is evident in the numerous parish churches and cemeteries, such as St Winfred Cem Ch and St Joseph Cem Ch, which anchored the rural communities of the 1960s.

The low-lying eastern portion of the quadrangle is a labyrinth of water bodies, including Grand Lake, Lac Pearl, and the Spring Bayou system. Notable archaeological features are preserved here, specifically the Indian Mounds near Marksville, indicating the long history of human habitation on the bluffs overlooking the wetlands. From the Marksville Airport to the scattered settlements of Effie and Moncla, the map captures the transition from agricultural prairie to the riverine woods of the Bayou des Glaises drainage.