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1954 Map of Wiergate

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Wiergate
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Sabine River dominates this mid-century landscape, carving a serpentine border between Texas and Louisiana. The river's influence is seen in the countless oxbow lakes and backwaters that dot the floodplain, including Alligator Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and the sprawling Sibo Brake. On the Texas side, the Sabine National Forest blankets the rolling uplands of Newton and Sabine Counties, where high points like Foxhunters Hill and Hickory Ridge rise above the drainage of Sixmile Creek.

Rural life in the 1950s is marked by scattered settlements and community landmarks. Small clusters at Fairdale, Fairmount, and Wiergate are anchored by local institutions such as Fairdale School and the Mt Olive Church. Evidence of earlier transport persists at Anthonys Ferry, while the presence of several family-named burial grounds like Weaver Cemetery and Eddie Gatson Cemetery provides vital clues for genealogical research in this heavily forested region.