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1954 Map of New Orleans

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of New Orleans
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Mississippi River defines the geography of this mid-century survey, snaking through a landscape of heavy industry, established neighborhoods, and expanding infrastructure. Large-scale river features like Carrollton Bend and Gouldsboro Bend are flanked by critical logistics hubs, including the Public Cotton Warehouse and the Foreign Trade Zone. Beyond the urban core of New Orleans, the map details the suburban growth in Metairie Terrace and the industrial corridors of the West Bank near Harvey and Gretna.

Tracing the complex network of water management, the sheet displays numerous canals such as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal and Harvey Canal. These man-made waterways intersect with the natural drainage of Bayou Segnette and Bayou des Familles, leading down toward Lake Cataouatche and Lake Salvador. The presence of Moisant Airport and the Huey P Long Bridge highlights the era's focus on modern transportation connecting the diverse parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines.