1954 Map of Lafayette

About this map

The Louisiana Southwestern Institute anchors the south side of Lafayette in this mid-century survey, which reveals a city poised between its agricultural roots and modern expansion. The Vermilion River snakes through the center of the landscape, its banks marked by dense vegetation and intricate drainage networks like Coulee des Poches. Local infrastructure is defined by the Southern Pacific railroad corridor, which links the city to the neighboring settlement of Scott to the west. Outside the main grid of streets such as Congress St and St John St, the land is divided into numerous small tracts and long-lot boundaries characteristic of Acadiana. Small rural hubs like Tolson, Langs, and Ely Junction appear alongside local educational sites like Long Sch and Vera Sch, providing valuable points of reference for genealogists studying the transition from rural farming to urban development in Lafayette Parish.