Loading map...

1954 Map of Sikes

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Sikes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Tremont & Gulf railroad anchors this 1954 landscape, connecting the small community of Sikes and the nearby Sikes Spur to the wider region. This North Louisiana terrain is defined by a dense network of timber-country landmarks and rural gathering places, including the Hoods Mill Lookout Tower and Sikes Lookout Tower. The map reveals a deeply settled agricultural and timber economy, evidenced by the numerous country churches like Pleasant Hill Ch and Sharon Ch that dot the crossroads.

Waterways like Castor Creek and Bear Creek carve through the parishes of Winn, Jackson, and Caldwell, creating a complex drainage system that influenced the placement of early settlements. Genealogists will find a wealth of specific data in the various family and community burial grounds, such as Tippen Cem, Dothan Cem, and Sterns Cem. The presence of small, named locales like Vixen, Gulf Crossing, and Batiste highlights the scattered nature of population centers before modern highway consolidation.