1955 Map of Westlake

About this map

Industrial expansion along the Calcasieu River defines this mid-century portrait of southwestern Louisiana, where the heavy infrastructure of the Oil Refinery and Haymark Terminal meets the sprawling waterways of Prien Lake and Lake Charles. The landscape is a complex network of maritime and rail commerce, featuring the Rose Bluff Cutoff Ship Channel and the tracks of the Southern Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads. Residential growth is evident in communities like Maplewood, Hollywood, and Westlake, while rural markers such as Roseland Cem and Mimosa-Pines Cem provide essential data for genealogical research. The transition from established town centers like Sulphur to the developing suburbs and oil fields highlights the era's rapid postwar transformation from a river-based economy to a major industrial hub.