1970 Map of Ellerslie

About this map

West Cote Blanche Bay and East Cote Blanche Bay define this coastal Louisiana landscape, where the tides meet a complex network of industrial and natural waterways. The engineering of the Intracoastal Waterway and various shipping channels like the Franklin Canal and Williams Storage Canal illustrates the mid-century effort to navigate and drain the marshlands. In the southeastern corner, the settlement of Ellerslie and the South Bend area provide evidence of local habitation near the Bayou Sale oil and gas developments. The map reveals an environment transitioning from wild coastal bayous, such as Wild Buck Bayou and Mascot Bayou, to a managed landscape of Oil and Gas Fields and water control structures like the Pumping Station. This 1970s record captures the intricate hydrology of the region before significant coastal erosion and further petrochemical expansion altered the shoreline.