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1956 Map of Orlando West

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Orlando West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Orlando expands westward in the mid-1950s, revealing a landscape defined by its high density of lakes and the emerging suburban footprint of Pine Hills and Orlovista. The eastern edge of the map shows the established city core, with landmark buildings like City Hall and institutional anchors such as Bishop Moore High Sch and Edgewater High Sch. The industrial and transportation backbone of the era is represented by the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which skirt the northern orange groves and clay pits.

Genealogists and local historians can find a wealth of specific community markers, from the historic African American town of Eatonville in the northeast corner to the Washington Park Cem near the southern boundary. The presence of numerous smaller water bodies like Lake Sparling and Lake Wekina, alongside larger features like Lake Fairview, illustrates how the region's geography dictated the placement of early housing developments and infrastructure like the Woodsmere Sub-station and Central Florida Hospital.