1963 Map of Lockport

About this map

Bayou Lafourche dictates the narrow, linear settlement patterns of this Louisiana delta landscape, with communities like Raceland, Mathews, and Lockport hugging the high ground along its banks. The 1960s economy is clearly defined by the transition from agriculture to industry, where sprawling sugar cane fields with their distinctive long-lot drainage patterns meet the burgeoning Raceland Gas Field and numerous oil wells. In Lockport, the confluence of the Company Canal and the bayou highlights the area's history as a regional transit hub. Local life is documented through landmarks like the Raceland High School, the Drive-in Theater near Hadley Cemetery, and the Southern Pacific railroad line that parallels the waterway. The vast expanse of Lake Fields and the surrounding marshlands of Bayou Folse underscore the delicate balance between the reclaimed prairie and the encroaching swamp.