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1955 Map of Waccasassa Bay

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Waccasassa Bay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Gulf Hammock dominates this coastal landscape, where the dense Florida wetlands meet the tidal reaches of the Gulf of Mexico. This 1955 survey illustrates a wilderness defined by an intricate network of waterways, including the Waccasassa River and its connection to the Wekiva River. Evidence of early 20th-century industry persists through the Old Railroad Grade, which once facilitated the extraction of timber from these remote swamps.

Small outposts like Williams Camp, Camp D, and Camp E are some of the few markers of human presence in a territory primarily occupied by sloughs and creeks. The coastal geography is highly detailed, showing landforms such as Staffords Island, Lone Cedar Island, and Salt Island. The map provides a precise look at the hydrology of the era, recording named features like Cabbage Slough and Watch Chain Slough before later environmental changes altered these drainage patterns.