1940 Map of Madewood

About this map

Bayou Lafourche anchors this 1938 survey of the Louisiana sugar belt, where the land's transition from cultivated levee strips to dense swamp is clearly defined. The settlement pattern follows the high ground of the bayou, featuring a string of communities and estates including Madewood, Elmfield, Ingleside, and Albemarle. Beyond the narrow agricultural corridor, the terrain gives way to the wetlands of the Assumption and St. James Parish border, a landscape dominated by drainage features like Bayou Verretti and Coteau Frene. The infrastructure of the era is evident in the Texas and Pacific Railroad and the specialized narrow gage lines and old logging railroads that once pushed deep into the backswamps. Rural life is marked by local landmarks such as Woodlawn Ch and Mt Carmel Ch, which served these tightly clustered riverfront communities.