1974 Map of Schlater SE

About this map

Itta Bena and the surrounding Leflore County delta landscape are revealed in this 1974 orthophotograph, which replaces traditional topographic symbols with raw aerial imagery. The serpentine course of the Tallahatchie river dominates the northern and eastern portions of the sheet, its dramatic oxbows and abandoned channels testifying to the shifting nature of the Mississippi alluvial plain. The geometric precision of the agricultural fields creates a stark contrast against the fluid, dark lines of the river and its associated brakes. This specific format—an orthophotogrammetric study—provides researchers with an unfiltered view of land use, vegetation patterns, and drainage systems during the mid-1970s. For those studying the history of the Delta, it offers a literal picture of the rural infrastructure and the relationship between the built environment of the town and the productive landscape that surrounds it.