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1951 Map of New Orleans West

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of New Orleans West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a massive oxbow curve that dominates this 1951 mid-century view of Jefferson Parish, carving past Ninemile Pt and Twelvemile Pt. The landscape is a study in early suburban development and vital transit corridors, featuring the massive Moisant Airport in the northwest and the sprawling rail yards of Plauche. The industrial and transportation backbone of the region is evident in the dense concentration of rail lines, including the Illinois Central Railroad and the Texas and Pacific Railway, which converge near the monumental Huey P Long Bridge.

Settlements like Kenner, Harahan, and Westwego are shown as they transitioned from river-bound communities into the modern New Orleans metropolitan area. South of the river, the terrain shifts into the marshy reaches of Bayou Segnette and Churchill Farms, showing the original drainage patterns and canals like the Mayronne Canal before extensive later-century reclamation altered the southern landscape.