1935 Map of Grand Chenier

About this map

The low-lying marshes of Cameron Parish are defined here by a series of narrow, habitable elevations known as chenieres, which supported isolated communities in the mid-1930s. The long, slender Grand Cheniere Ridge serves as the primary corridor for settlement, hosting the Grand Cheniere Sch and providing access to the Mermentau River via the Grand Cheniere Ferry. To the north, more remote ribbons of high ground like Little Cheniere Ridge and the Cheniere Perdue Ridge rise above the wetlands of Drainage District No 2. This survey, compiled in part from early aerial photography, illustrates a landscape where life was inextricably linked to the tides and water levels of Upper Mud Lake and the various bayous, such as Little Cheniere Bayou and Pumpkin Bayou, that weave through the coastal prairie.