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1936 Map of Ruddock

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Ruddock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas define this narrow corridor of marshland in St. John the Baptist Parish during the mid-1930s. The landscape is dominated by the Illinois Central railroad and Highway No 51, which provide a vital north-south artery through the wetlands. This survey, compiled in part from aerial photography by the Air Corps, reveals the precise positioning of small rail-dependent settlements like Ruddock, Jasmin, and Napton-Sta.

A network of waterways, including Black Bayou and Bayou Des Allemands, crisscrosses the swampy terrain between the lakes. The presence of the Ruddock Canal and a local Cem near the namesake settlement points to the early 20th-century history of timber extraction and labor in this challenging environment. The map captures the region's transport-oriented layout before modern interstate development altered the character of the pass.