1951 Map of Stake Islands

About this map

Breton National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the fragile chain of the Chandeleur Islands as they appeared in the early 1950s. This survey, compiled from 1950 aerial photography and planetable field checks, captures the shifting geography of the Stake Islands and Curlew Islands before decades of coastal erosion further altered these barrier features. The map illustrates a landscape of narrow sandy strips and marshy outcrops like Boot Island separated by vast stretches of Chandeleur Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. An approximate boundary line marks the division between St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish as it cuts through the southern reaches of the island chain. This record provides a clear baseline for studying the geomorphology of the Louisiana coast during a period of relative island stability, documenting the extent of features like Conocka Shoal and the surrounding shallow flats.