1953 Map of Grosse Tete SW

About this map

Moonshine Field stands at the center of this Iberville Parish landscape, illustrating the mid-century industrial footprint within the Louisiana wetlands. Surveyed in the early 1950s and updated in 1980, the area is defined by a complex hydraulic network designed for flood control and drainage. The southwestern portion is dominated by the Atchafalaya Upper Flat Floodway, bounded by a substantial Protection Levee and the winding course of Bayou Maringouin. North and east of the levee, the map reveals a wilderness of cypress swamps and bayous, including Halfway Lake and Smith Lake. Human modification of the terrain is evident in the straight lines of the Catfish Canal and Superior Canal, as well as the prominent Trinity Spoil Bank. These features, alongside numerous pipelines and firelines, show the systematic management of the Atchafalaya Basin for both resource extraction and water management during this era.