1894 Map of Bayou De Large

About this map

Terrebonne Parish, as surveyed by Basil Duke and H. L. Baldwin Jr. in the late nineteenth century, is defined by an intricate network of waterways and marshlands just north of the Gulf. The drainage patterns of the era are centered on the prominent corridor of Bayou De Large, which serves as a primary artery through this low-lying landscape. The map captures the natural configuration of several major water bodies, including the expansive Lake Washa and the centrally located Lake De Cade. These features, along with Bayou Grand Caillou and Bayou Penchant, illustrate the hydrological foundation of the region before modern levees and channelization significantly altered the coastal Louisiana environment. The lack of terrestrial infrastructure in this 1890 survey emphasizes how movement and early settlement were dictated entirely by the winding bayous and lakes.