1955 Map of Moss Bluff

About this map

The Calcasieu River system dominates this mid-century survey of southwestern Louisiana, revealing a complex network of bayous and cypress-rich bottomlands north of the growing city of Lake Charles. The river's winding course creates a series of named backwaters including Watermelon Bay, Alligator Bay, and Burnett Bay, while the West Fork Calcasieu River separates Bear Island from the mainland. Settlement patterns are concentrated along the Southern Pacific rail line and major river crossings, with prominent family-named landmarks like Perkins Ferry and Indian Bayou Ferry marking historic transit points. To the north, the communities of Moss Bluff and Gillis are interspersed with several rural burial grounds, such as Birdsnest Cem and Ritchie Cem, providing critical geographic data for local genealogists. In the south, the industrial and residential grid of Goosport sits near the bend of English Bayou, where Radio Towers (KPLC) stand as modern landmarks in the 1950s landscape.