{"product_id":"old-map-of-lake-charles-louisiana-by-usgs-1955-calcasieu-river-calcasieu-lake","title":"Old Map of Lake Charles, Louisiana by USGS, 1955 – Calcasieu River \u0026 Calcasieu Lake","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1968 using survey data collected in 1955, the “Lake Charles Quadrangle” captures a pivotal mid-century moment in southwestern Louisiana’s urban and natural landscape. Created at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, it centers on Lake Charles, a city shaped by waterways, industry, transportation, and the low-relief coastal plain. The map records the dense street grid and expanding neighborhoods of the city while also preserving the surrounding wetlands, water bodies, and open ground that defined its setting. Its historical value lies in this precise intersection of civic growth and environmental geography, offering a measured portrait of Lake Charles before later decades of suburban expansion, highway development, and industrial transformation altered the region’s appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe United States Geological Survey, responsible for this quadrangle, brought to the map its characteristic blend of scientific precision and cartographic clarity. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became the nation’s foremost authority on topographic mapping, producing standardized quadrangles that documented the American landscape with remarkable consistency. In this Lake Charles sheet, contour lines, hydrography, roads, built-up areas, and land-use distinctions are arranged with the quiet authority of a technical survey, yet the result is visually engaging. The red, pink, and green palette gives the map an unexpectedly vivid character, distinguishing urban fabric, vegetation, and mapped features in a way that is both functional and aesthetically distinctive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLake Charles itself appears as the map’s commanding focal point, its streets, neighborhoods, and transportation routes revealing the structure of a regional Louisiana city in the 1950s. The presence of Lake Charles Municipal Airport points to the growing importance of modern mobility and infrastructure during the postwar period, while the mapped road network shows the connective tissue between the urban core and its outlying districts. Parks and green spaces break up the denser pattern of streets, offering glimpses of civic planning and local recreation. Seen today, these details form a valuable historical record of how the city was organized before subsequent phases of metropolitan growth reshaped its margins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWater gives the quadrangle much of its geographic drama. The Calcasieu River, one of the defining features of the region, ties Lake Charles to the broader coastal system of southwestern Louisiana, linking city, industry, marsh, lake, and gulfward navigation. Nearby Calcasieu Lake and associated waterways speak to the area’s identity as a landscape of channels, shorelines, and low-lying terrain. On a topographic map, even subtle changes in elevation matter, and the contour lines here reveal the gentle relief typical of the Gulf Coastal Plain. The result is a map that conveys not mountain grandeur, but the quieter complexity of water-shaped land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, the “Lake Charles Quadrangle” offers more than location; it preserves a layered snapshot of mid-twentieth-century land use. The balance between built environment and natural setting is especially compelling, showing streets and civic infrastructure alongside waterways, open land, parks, and the subdued topography of coastal Louisiana. Its color scheme gives the sheet a period-specific charm while helping to decode the landscape with immediacy. For collectors, historians, or anyone with a connection to Lake Charles, this map evokes a city in transition: modernizing, spreading outward, yet still deeply bound to the Calcasieu River, surrounding lakes, and the distinctive geography of Louisiana’s southwest coast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Charles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLouisiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCalcasieu River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCalcasieu Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Charles Municipal Airport\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious neighborhoods within Lake Charles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStreets and roadways depicted in the urban area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreen spaces and parks indicated by color differentiation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map is dated 1955 and carries a 1968 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurvey data was collected in 1955 and published in 1968.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated by the US Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the U.S. government known for mapping, geology, and natural resources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses shades of red, pink, and green to represent land use and topographical features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines delineate elevation changes, characteristic of topographical maps.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map shows both urban and natural landscapes, including roads, water bodies, and regional elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIts 1955 survey origins provide insight into mid-20th-century development, land use, urban expansion, and infrastructure in the Lake Charles area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58800767795584,"sku":null,"price":362.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58800767828352,"sku":null,"price":974.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58800767861120,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58800767893888,"sku":null,"price":362.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58800767926656,"sku":null,"price":974.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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