1956 Map of Telegraph Swamp NE

About this map

The boundary between Charlotte Co and Glades Co bisects this mid-century landscape of South Florida's interior. This survey illustrates a vast, interconnected wetland system dominated by the wide drainage of Rainey Slough in the northern portion and the winding course of Jacks Branch to the south. The absence of named towns or infrastructure highlights the area's character as a seasonal wilderness and cattle range in the mid-1950s, before modern water management and development significantly altered the region's hydrology. Grounded in data from 1951 aerial photography and 1956 planetable surveys, the map provides an essential baseline for understanding the historic flow of the Everglades' western headwaters.