Loading map...

1956 Map of Myakka City

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Myakka City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Myakka River winds through this mid-century Florida interior, defining a landscape of wetlands and scattered rural settlements. Small agricultural nodes like Myakka City and Parmalee are connected by a thin network of roads, while the surrounding terrain is dominated by complex water systems, including Tatum Gully, Ogleby Creek, and the swampy expanses of Sawgrass and Tatum. This 1956 survey, compiled from early 1950s aerial photography, captures the area before the significant expansion of modern drainage and development.

Local history is preserved in the location of the Sardis Cem, providing a point of reference for genealogists researching early Manatee County families. The map illustrates the natural drainage patterns of the region through numerous sloughs and lakes, such as Mossy Island Slough, Mud Slough, and Cason Lake. The intricate network of Clay Gully, Owen Creek, and Lettuce Lake highlights the seasonally wet nature of this prairie and hammock country before it was extensively altered for large-scale ranching and citrus production.