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1956 Map of Rigolets

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Rigolets
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Fort Pike State Monument stands as a sentinel at the passage between Lake Pontchartrain and the Rigolets, marking a critical juncture of Louisiana's coastal defenses and navigation history. The mid-century landscape is defined by a complex web of salt marshes and tidal channels, including Fritchie Marsh and Weems Island. This survey captures the infrastructure of the era, from the Geoghegan Canal to the prominent Louisville and Nashville rail line that traverses the wetlands via a series of bridges.

Inland features like Apple Pie Ridge provide rare relief above the swamp, while smaller water bodies such as Townes Mill Pond and Goose Pond illustrate the localized drainage patterns. The map documents the boundary between St. Tammany Parish and Orleans Parish, following the deep water of the Rigolets toward Lake Borgne. It is a detailed study of a maritime environment where the Intracoastal Waterway meets natural passes like St. Catherine Pass.