1954 Map of Pecan Island NE

About this map

Front Ridge and a network of land-elevations punctuate the vast coastal marsh of Vermilion Parish in this 1954 publication based on 1930s field examinations. The landscape is defined by its traditional waterborne transportation routes, most notably the several branches of the Pirogue Trail that snake through the wetlands between Lost Island and Belle Isle. This survey captures the region's hydrography before modern extensive drainage projects, showing the original course of the Old Intracoastal Waterway and the intricate drainage of Belle Isle Bayou. The transition from open water at Little Bear Lake to the solid ground of Little Prairie Ridge illustrates the delicate balance of the Louisiana chenier plain. Land lines from General Land Office records have been adjusted to these natural features, reflecting the historical challenge of surveying such an fluid environment.