1945 Map of Pickett Bay

About this map

Tates Hell Swamp dominates this coastal Florida landscape, a complex drainage system of creeks and sloughs during the mid-1940s. The hydrography is intricately detailed, showing the meandering courses of the New River and Crooked River as they thread through the wetlands toward Pickett Bay. A significant historical marker is the site of Harbeson City (abandoned), located near the junction of the Crooked River and Cypress Slough. This settlement's status as abandoned by 1945 points to the shifting economic fortunes of the region's timber or naval stores industries. Navigation and land use are further evidenced by local landmarks such as Saw Bluff and the Thompson Cutoff, while numerous wells scattered throughout the swamp indicate early attempts to manage or utilize the water resources of this dense riparian environment.