1934 Map of Johnsons Bayou

About this map

Smith Ridge and Coon Ridge rise above the marshy wetlands of southwestern Louisiana, anchoring a landscape shaped by intricate tidal waterways and early industrial drainage. Surveyed in 1934, the map reveals a remote coastal community centered around Johnsons Bayou Sch and the nearby Pevoto Cemetery. The hydrology of the area is defined by natural features like Deep Bayou and Junius Ridge Bayou, alongside man-made interventions such as the Starks Canal and the Magnolia-Vacuum Canal, which hint at the region's developing oil and navigation interests. This era captures the Cameron Parish shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico before significant modern coastal erosion, showing the placement of family settlements and schools on the slightly elevated cheniers that provided stable ground for residents.