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1954 Map of Temple

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Temple
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Temple and the small settlements of Mora and Burnstown anchor this mid-century view of the Louisiana backcountry, where the borders of Natchitoches, Rapides, and Vernon Parishes converge. The landscape is defined by the densely wooded reaches of the Kisatchie National Forest, intersected by a complex network of waterways including Devils Creek, Comrade Creek, and Bayou Celestine.

Evidence of a shifting economy is visible in the prominent dismantled railroad tracks that cut across the topography, marking the decline of former timber or transport corridors. Local community life is preserved through numerous rural landmarks, such as Pine Grove Church, the Mora School, and several family-named burial grounds like Blackwell Cemetery and School Creek Cemetery. This 1954 survey provides a detailed look at the rural social geography of the central Louisiana piney woods before later modernization altered these small communities.