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1968 Map of Melville

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Melville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The Atchafalaya River corridor defines this portion of the Louisiana landscape, where the Morganza Floodway dictates the movement of water and the layout of human settlements. The town of Melville sits on the western bank, protected by an extensive levee system that includes the historical site of the Melville Crevasse. Across the river, the small communities of Red Cross and Ravenswood are woven into a complex network of waterways, including Bayou Latenache and Johnson Bayou.

Transportation and industry are heavily represented by the Texas and Pacific Railroad and the presence of the Ravenswood Oil Field to the south. For those tracing local heritage, the map identifies specific community landmarks such as Mt Olive Ch and Zion Traveler Ch, along with the Morganza Landing Strip. The landscape is a mosaic of active petroleum extraction, shown through numerous Gas Wells, and the remnants of older infrastructure like the Old Railroad Grade.