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1956 Map of Opelousas

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

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The city of Opelousas serves as the focal point of this 1956 mid-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by its intricate bayou network and agricultural infrastructure. The map details an extensive system of water management, featuring the Bayou Boeuf-Cocodrie Diversion Channel and several instances of Irrigation Flumes, some already marked as abandoned. Rural life is anchored by numerous parish churches and schools, such as the St Ann Sch Ch & Cem and Sacred Heart Ch & Cem, reflecting the deep-seated community structures of ST Landry Parish during this era.

Transportation and industry are well-represented by the converging lines of the Texas and Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads. North of the city, the Wartell Plantation and the large Thistlewaite tract indicate the scale of landholdings in the region. Outside the urban center, small settlements like Plaisance, Washington, and Lawtell are interconnected by a maturing road network and drainage projects that transformed this prairie and bayou country into productive farmland.