1957 Map of Bonnet Carre

About this map

Bonnet Carre Floodway dominates the mid-century landscape between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, serving as a critical piece of river management infrastructure. Along the Mississippi River, the map documents a transition from traditional agrarian land use to industrial development, featuring a string of riverfront settlements including Montz, Sellers, and Norco. Genealogists and local historians can locate several historic estates such as Anchor Plantation, Gypsy Plantation, and Mary Plantation, many of which were adjacent to the emerging Goodhope Oil Field and Laplace Oil Field. The Illinois Central railroad runs parallel to U.S. Highway No 51, connecting small lakeside communities like Ruddock, Wagram, and Frenier Beach. This 1957 survey captures the area just as modern flood control and oil exploration were reshaping the historic river parishes.