1891 Map of Spanish Fort

About this map

Lake Pontchartrain dominates the northern half of this coastal survey, defining the late 19th-century relationship between the city and the water. The southern shoreline is a landscape of established lakeside settlements and vital navigation works, including the New Basin Canal and the strategically placed Light House structures guarding the approach. The transition from Jefferson to New Orleans is marked by a network of waterways like St. Johns Bayou and Bayou Sauvage, which historically facilitated drainage and transport in this low-lying area. At the water's edge, Spanish Fort and Milneburg appear as prominent landing points, with the N. O. & N. E. railroad extending toward the marshy reaches of Gentilly. The 1890 survey data shows the early shoreline infrastructure before the major 20th-century expansions into the lake.