1932 Map of Pecan Island SW

About this map

Pirogue Trail segments cut through the vast coastal wetlands of southern Vermilion Parish in this 1932 field-examined study. Compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey using early aerial photography from the Army Air Corps, the map captures a landscape defined by water and marsh grass long before modern coastal erosion and infrastructure altered the shoreline. The transition from the inland marsh to the Gulf of Mexico is marked by the narrow ridge of Mulberry Island, a solitary named terrain feature in an otherwise fluid environment. These trails and island names represent the traditional geography used by locals to navigate the complex deltaic system of the era, providing a rare look at the Louisiana coast during the early 20th century.