1962 Map of Barataria

About this map

The communities of Barataria and Lafitte anchor this mid-century survey of the Mississippi River Delta, where the land fragmentizes into a complex network of bayous and wetlands. The map documents an era of intense petroleum exploration, identifying numerous resource zones including the Lafitte Oil Field, the Manila Village Oil Field, and the West Delta Farms Oil Field. These industrial sites are interspersed among a landscape of tidal flats and marshes, where a notable "Line of demarcation between salt marsh and fresh marsh" is marked through the center of the sheet. For those tracing family histories, several burial grounds are recorded along the waterways, such as Fleming Cem, Coulon Cem, and Docard Cem. Local education and faith centers like Fisher Sch and Sacred Heart Ch serve as navigational landmarks within the intricate drainage of Bayou Perot, Bayou Rigolettes, and Little Lake.