1954 Map of Taylor Pass

About this map

Breton Sound dominates this mid-century coastal survey, illustrating the fluid geography of the Mississippi River Delta's outer reaches. The map represents a critical transitional period for the marshes of Plaquemines Parish, captured through aerial photography from the U.S. Army Air Corps and field examination by the Board of State Engineers. In the lower portion of the sheet, the waters of Grand Bay meet a series of low-lying islands and wetlands, including Sable and Bird. The intricate hydrological network of the delta is evident in the presence of Blackjack Bayou and the eponymous Taylor Pass, providing a technical look at the shoreline before decades of coastal erosion and subsiding land altered these specific marsh configurations.