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1957 Map of Mobile

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Mobile
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Mobile and the Gulf Coast region are captured here in the mid-1950s, showing a landscape defined by its strategic coastal waterways and emerging Cold War military presence. The map tracks the vital rail corridors of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio and Louisville & Nashville railroads as they connect industrial hubs like Pascagoula and Gulfport to the major ports of New Orleans and Biloxi. This era is marked by the prominence of aviation installations, with Keesler Afb and Brookley Afb serving as central landmarks along the shoreline.

Dense timberlands within the Desoto National Forest contrast with the intricate marshlands and barrier islands like Ship Island and Cat Island that buffer the Mississippi Sound. From the Pearl River at the Louisiana border to the growing suburbs of Prichard and Chickasaw, the map provides a comprehensive view of the mid-century transportation network and the coastal settlements before the era of modern interstate expansion.