1943 Map of St Joseph Spit

About this map

St Joseph Spit stretches as a narrow barrier between the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the protected reaches of St Joseph Bay during the height of the second World War. This 1943 survey, conducted by L. J. Daigre for the War Department, reveals a landscape defined by natural coastal processes rather than human development. The spit is characterized by a series of prominent Sand Dunes that shift along the peninsula, creating a rugged and ever-changing shoreline. At the northern end of the mapped land area, Pig Bayou cuts into the land, illustrating the delicate transition from the bay's tidal influence to the interior of the spit. The map captures a moment of geological transition, showing the intricate finger-like extensions of the shoreline before modern development or major storm events altered the peninsula's profile.