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1963 Map of Somerset

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Somerset
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

The looping oxbows and alluvial bottomlands of the Mississippi River floodplain define this landscape along the Louisiana and Mississippi border. The Palmyra Lake cutoff creates a complex system of islands and chutes, including Middle Palmyra Island and the expansive Davis Island. Human settlement is closely tied to the higher ground near the levees and the Missouri Pacific rail line, which services small communities like Quimby and Somerset.

Evidence of long-term habitation is scattered across the terrain, from Indian Mounds near Rosset to several rural congregations including St Paul Ch and Pasture Green Ch. The economy of the early 1960s appears centered on river access and agriculture, noted by features like Palmyra Landing and the Dale Landing Strip. Numerous water bodies such as Grassy Lake and Mound Bayou suggest a landscape frequently reshaped by the river's historical shifts.