1935 Map of Bourbeux

About this map

Lake Barre and the intricate marshlands of the Bourbeux Quadrangle dominate this 1935 survey, which was compiled using early aerial photography from the U.S. Army Air Corps. The landscape is a dense network of coastal hydrology, where major arteries like Bayou Terrebonne and Bayou Petit Caillou snake through hundreds of small islands and unnamed marshy patches. The northern portion of the map shows the influence of early drainage and navigation efforts via the Bush Canal, while the southern reaches open into expansive water bodies like Bay La Peur and Madison Bay. For researchers, the map provides an essential baseline of the Louisiana shoreline before mid-century coastal erosion and subsidence significantly altered these waterways. The numerous named bayous, such as Bayou Theriot and Bayou Charles, reveal the historical navigation routes used by local residents and industries during the mid-1930s.