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1949 Map of Melbourne West

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Melbourne West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Eau Gallie and Melbourne anchor this detailed coastal survey, showing a landscape defined by significant drainage projects and Cold War-era expansion. The Melbourne Tillman Canal and various levees underscore the massive engineering efforts required to manage the wetlands between the St Johns River and the Atlantic coast. This specific edition uses purple photorevision to document the rapid suburban growth and road development that occurred between 1948 and 1970, including the expansion of West Melbourne and the establishment of residential clusters like Melbourne Village.

Infrastructure is prominent, from the Florida East Coast railway to the John F Kennedy Memorial Airport. The map also captures the regional military footprint with the Air Force Eastern Test Range (Malabar Annex). Local recreation and services are represented by the Melbourne Golf and Country Club and the State Hospital, providing a thorough view of the mid-century transition from marshy outskirts to a developed aerospace-age corridor.