1956 Map of Port Tampa

About this map

The Interbay Peninsula and the eastern edge of the Pinellas peninsula define this coastal study of the waters where Old Tampa Bay meets the larger Tampa Bay. The 1956 topography, updated with revisions from 1979, illustrates the heavy military and industrial presence of the mid-20th century, dominated by the expansive Mac Dill Air Force Base and the Seaboard rail lines serving the docks at Port Tampa. Across the water, the residential growth of St Petersburg is evident in neighborhoods like Snell Isle and Shore Acres, where intricate finger canals and dredge-and-fill developments began reshaping the shoreline. Natural features like Weedon Island and Weedon Hammock stand in contrast to the engineered landscape of the Gandy Channel and various maritime designated areas, including a Quarantine Anchorage and a Prohibited Area.