1943 Map of West of Johnson Bayou

About this map

The coastal marshlands and cheniers of Cameron Parish are meticulously detailed in this mid-century survey, conducted during the Second World War. The landscape is defined by its complex hydrology, dominated by Sabine Lake and the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. A series of distinctive ridges, likely ancient shorelines, rise above the wetlands, including Blue Buck Ridge, Back Ridge, and Garrison Ridge. These elevations provided the primary habitable land in this amphibious environment, as evidenced by the namesake Johnsons Bayou and the Johnsons Bayou Landing on the eastern edge. The map captures the intricate network of water bodies such as Madame Johnsons Bayou Lake and Willow Bayou, illustrating the era before extensive modern channelization modified the natural flow of these Gulf Coast bayous.