1945 Map of Tates Hell Swamp

About this map

Tates Hell Swamp dominates this mid-1940s landscape, reflecting a region defined by its hydrology and industrial logging history. The map was compiled by the Geological Survey during the war years, with land line data supplied by the State of Florida. The terrain is marked by an extensive network of Old Logging RR lines that cut through the wetlands, illustrating the heavy timber extraction that characterized the Panhandle's economy in this era. Water flows through the swamp via Whisky George Creek and Big Slough Br., eventually reaching the New R. at the eastern boundary. This survey captures a specific industrial moment before modern drainage and reforestation altered the natural drainage patterns of this notoriously difficult terrain.