1960 Map of Mobile

About this map

Mobile and New Orleans anchor the eastern and western ends of this 1960 coastal study, which highlights the dense network of maritime and rail infrastructure along the Gulf Coast. The map detail reveals the strategic importance of military installations like Keesler AFB in Biloxi and Brookley AFB near the Mobile Bay shoreline. Between these hubs, the landscape is defined by the Mississippi Sound and the barrier islands including Cat Island, Ship Island, and Horn Island. Inland, the DeSoto National Forest dominates the interior, while the winding courses of the Pearl River, Pascagoula River, and Chickasawhay River illustrate the natural drainage patterns that shaped early settlement. Railroad enthusiasts can trace the routes of the Louisville & Nashville and the Gulf Mobile & Ohio, which linked coastal ports like Pascagoula and Gulfport to the timber and agricultural lands of the interior.