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1955 Map of St. Bernard

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

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a dramatic crescent through this mid-century survey, defining the industrial and agricultural corridors of St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish. Along the river's eastern bank, a dense string of riverfront settlements like Chalmette, Violet, and Poydras follow the natural levee, hemmed in by the expansive wetlands of the Big Mar and the Forty Arpent Canal. This period shows the transition from traditional river-bound commerce to modern infrastructure, evidenced by the Alvin Callender Airport and the Sea Train Terminal near Scarsdale.

Preservation of the region's complex history is visible at Chalmette National Historical Park, which encompasses the Chalmette Nat Cem and the famed Pakenham Oaks. Beyond the levees, the landscape gives way to an intricate network of waterways leading to Lake Borgne, where the Martello Tower stands near the mouth of Bayou Dupre. To the south, isolated communities like Reggio and Delacroix are linked by the Louisiana Southern railroad and the St. Bernard Canal, illustrating a way of life deeply tied to the marshes and the rhythmic tides of Lake Lery.