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1935 Map of Oyster Bayou

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Oyster Bayou
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

Oyster Bayou L H stands at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, marking a treacherous coastal landscape where the Louisiana marsh meets the sea. This mid-1930s survey documents the intricate network of water bodies including Bay Junop, Mud Hole Bay, and Fourleague Bay before decades of coastal erosion significantly altered the shoreline. The economy of the era is evidenced by multiple Shrimp Platforms situated among the inlets and bayous, reflecting the region's reliance on the bounty of the gulf.

The topography is almost entirely aqueous, defined by features with evocative names like Hell Hole Bayou and Big Hell Hole Lake. Inland navigation relies on passages such as Pass Pelican and Taylors Bayou, which skirt Pelican Island. This detailed survey by the Corps of Engineers provides a precise view of the Terrebonne Parish coast during a period when the marshland remained a complex labyrinth of bays and lakes.