1893 Map of Rigolets

About this map

Ft. Pike stands as a sentinel at the western entrance of The Rigolets, a deep-water channel connecting the massive expanse of Lake Borgne to the interior. Compiled from 1892 surveys, this map documents the coastal wetlands of Orleans and St. Tammany parishes in Louisiana and Hancock County, Mississippi, before the landscape was significantly altered by modern infrastructure. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad cuts a straight path across the marsh, spanning the water at the Little Rigolets and passing through Pearl River Island. This rail line was the primary artery through the delta, connecting the small settlement of Claiborne to the broader Gulf region. The intricate network of tidal passes, including North Pass and St. Catharine Pass, illustrates the complex hydrology of the Pearl River delta system where it meets the sea.