1986 Map of Natchitoches

About this map

Natchitoches serves as the focal point of this mid-1980s survey, where the Red River and Cane River Lake dominate the eastern landscape. The map reveals a complex web of waterways, from the sprawling Toledo Bend Reservoir on the western boundary with Texas to the many bayous like Bayou Pierre and Bayou Scie that thread through the parishes. Settlement patterns are defined by historic corridors, including the Old Spanish Trail and the routes of the Kansas City Southern and Texas and Pacific railroads. Significant public lands such as the Sabine National Forest and Kisatchie National Forest frame the rural communities of Pleasant Hill, Robeline, and Flora. This edition captures the region's geography after the creation of the reservoir, illustrating the dramatic change in the western shoreline along the Sabine River compared to earlier decades.