1957 Map of Carencro

About this map

Carencro and Grand Coteau anchor this 1950s survey of the Acadiana prairie, a landscape defined by an intricate network of slow-moving waterways and a growing energy sector. The topography is dominated by bayous such as Bayou Teche and Bayou Plaquemine Brule, which wind through the parishes alongside the Southern Pacific and Texas and Pacific railroads. The era’s industrial footprint is visible through numerous petroleum operations, including the Church Point Gas Field and the Cankton Oil and Gas Field. Rural life is centered around small settlements and institutions like the Sacred Heart Academy and Christ the King Sch. From the outskirts of Sunset down to Vatican, the map captures a transition between traditional agriculture and the burgeoning oil and gas economy that reshaped the Louisiana interior mid-century.