1957 Map of Monroe South

About this map

The Ouachita River meanders deeply through this 1957 landscape, defining the boundaries and economic life of southern Monroe. In the north, the urban expansion of West Monroe and the Monroe City Boundary transitions into a complex system of sloughs and brakes, including the expansive Cheniere Brake and Alligator Brake. The presence of the Louisiana Training Institute and Conway Hospital marks the institutional footprint of the era, while the Missouri Pacific and Illinois Central railroads trace the movement of goods and people through the bottomlands. Small rural communities and rural educational centers like Logtown School and Watson School are scattered across the terrain, often located near local water features like Jack's Slough or Petiticoat Bayou. The map captures a moment before modern channelization, showing the intricate natural drainage of Lafourche Bayou and numerous named family cemeteries that document the area's genealogical history.