1955 Map of Lafayette

About this map

The Vermilion River snakes through this mid-century survey of Lafayette, anchoring a landscape in transition between its historic bayou roots and modern academic and urban expansion. The sprawling campus of the University of Southwestern Louisiana and the Southwestern Training Sch dominate the central core, while the Southern Pacific railroad corridor facilitates commerce through the city and nearby Scott. Numerous family and parish cemeteries, including St Marys Cem, Whittington Cem, and Broussard Cem, are scattered across the terrain, offering significant touchpoints for genealogical research. The map also captures the early suburban footprint with several institutions like the Mt Carmel Sch and Lafayette High Sch, alongside rural remnants such as the Long Plantation Sch and several coulees, including Coulee des Poches, which define the drainage of the Lafayette Parish prairies.