1955 Map of Lafayette

About this map

Lafayette is the focal point of this mid-century survey, showing the city's expansion just before the major urban revisions of the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by the winding course of Bayou Vermilion, where the community of Milton and various coulees like Anselm Coulee and Coulee de Picard drain the surrounding prairie. Evidence of the region's energy economy is scattered across the sheet, particularly at the Duson Gas Field and numerous Oil Wells found near Duson and Scott. Rural life is centered around local institutions such as Judice High Sch and Morning Star Ch, while numerous family and community burial grounds, including Bethel Cem and Broussard Cem, provide significant touchstones for genealogical research. The Southern Pacific railroad cuts a straight line through the northern settlements, facilitating the movement of goods through this agricultural and industrial hub.