1955 Map of Tarpon Springs

About this map

The Gulf Coast of Florida is defined here by its complex estuarine systems and transitioning interior wetlands during the mid-1950s. Crystal River and Homosassa Springs anchor the northern reaches, where the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge preserves the shoreline's intricate network of islands like Rock Island and Shell Island. The map illustrates a landscape of heavy hydrologic interest, showing the sprawling Lake Tsala Apopka and the course of the Withlacoochee River. Further south, the burgeoning development around New Port Richey and Tarpon Springs contrasts with the preserved wildness of Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Park. To the east, the interior is characterized by the Withlacoochee State Forest and the agricultural lands near Bushnell and Webster, linked by the Seaboard Coast Line and Atlantic Coast Line railroads which dictated the early growth of inland settlements.