1943 Map of St. Joseph Spit

About this map

St Joseph Spit stretches along the Florida coast during the Second World War, serving as a narrow barrier between the open Gulf of Mexico and the sheltered waters of St Joseph Bay. Produced by the U. S. Geological Survey under the direction of the War Department, this 1943 survey documents a nearly pristine coastal environment. The map highlights the dynamic nature of this barrier landform, specifically noting the presence of Sand Dunes that define the spit's topography. At the southern interior of the spit, the small inlet of Pig Bayou provides a rare point of reference in an otherwise undeveloped landscape. This document preserves the physical state of the Gulf County shoreline before later 20th-century developments, providing a clear record of the natural hazards and geography that would have been critical for wartime coastal defense planning.