1963 Map of Yokena

About this map

The Mississippi River defines the western edge of this landscape, its path buffered by a prominent levee and a network of oxbows like Paine Lake and Horseshoe Lake. Movement through this river-and-rail corridor is anchored by the Illinois Central railroad, which parallels the river as it passes through the settlements of Le Tourneau (Glass), Simrall, and Yokena. The map reveals a dense social fabric of the early 1960s, evidenced by the numerous country churches and family burial grounds dotting the interior, including Morning Star Ch, King David Ch, and the Glass Cem. To the east, the terrain rises into the uplands where Paces Bayou and Redbone Creek drain toward the southern boundary at the Big Black River. Notable infrastructure of the era is captured here, from the Vicksburg Municipal Airport in the north to the Jeff Davis Lookout Tower overlooking the eastern woods.