2018 Map of Somerset

About this map

Palmyra Bend and the surrounding river bottomlands define this geography where the borders of Louisiana and Mississippi intertwine. This 2018 survey documents a landscape of intricate hydrology, featuring the massive oxbow of Palmyra Lake and the Roundaway-Bayou Vidal Cutoff which marks the northern boundary of the quadrangle. Small settlements such as Somerset, Quimby, and Afton are situated along the elevated corridors of the floodplain, often adjacent to local bayous like Mill Bayou and Negro Bayou. The map is particularly useful for genealogists, as it preserves the locations of several small burial sites, including Somerset Cem, Saint John Cem, and Snyder Cem. These sites, along with the distinct property lines of the Public Land Survey System, reveal the pattern of agricultural development and land ownership that has persisted in the Tensas and Madison Parish regions.