Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1956 Settlement Succession in Eastern French Louisiana. William Bernard Knipmeyer Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Knipmeyer, William Bernard, "Settlement Succession in Eastern French Louisiana." (1956). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 172. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/172 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SETTLEMENT SUCCESSION IN EASTERN FRENCH LOUISIANA A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department~of Geography and Anthropology by-. William B* Knipmeyer B. S., Louisiana State University, 1947 August, 1956 ACKNOWLEDGMENT Field investigations for a period of three months were accomplished as a part of the Office of Naval Research Project N 7 ONR 35606, under the direction of Prof. Fred B. Kniffen, Head of the Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University. Sincere appreciation is acknowledged for the guidance and assistance of Prof. Kniffen. Information pertaining to similar problems in other parts of the state was generously given by Martin Wright and James W. Taylor. The manuscript was critically read by Professors Robert C. West, William G. Haag, and John II. Vann of the Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University. Invaluable assistance in the preparation of the manuscript was given by Em Knipmeyer. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pago Acknowledgment ii List of Illustrations v Abstract xi CHAPTER I THE REGIONAL AND PHYSICAL SETTING 1 Physiography 4 Vegetation 8 Physiography and the Cultural Landscape 12 CHAPTER II THE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS 14 Indians 14 European Settlement 17 CHAPTER III THE SETTLEMENT PATTERN 29 Origin of the Linear Settlement ‘ 31 Development in Louisiana 36 Structure of the Linear Settlement 37 Urbanization 41 Dispersed settlement 48 CHAPTER IV THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPES 53 Morphology of the Plantation Landscape 55 Morphology of the Farm Landscape 57 Morphology of the Trapper-Fisher Landscape 59 CHAPTER V DWELLINGS 66 Indian Dwellings 67 Temporary Buildings 71 Palmetto Houses 73 Camps 78 iii Shotgun Houses The Creole Dwellings Southern Architecture Half-Timbering in Europe Half-Timbering in the hnglish Colonies The Half-Timbered Creole House Evolution of the Creole House All-Wood Creole Houses Bungalows The Southwestern Louisiana House Campboa ts CHAPTER VI OUTBUILDINGS AND FENCES Barns Small Outbuildings Fences 'Types of Enclosures and Assemblages CHAPTER VII FOLK BOATS The Pirogues Chaland Esquif Bateau Fla tboat CHAPTER VIII SUMMARY: THE LANDSCAPE SUCCESSION References Cited LIST 01s ILLUSTRATIONS Plate 'iiunber Following Page 1 The Culture Regions of Louisiana 3 2 liastern French Louisiana A 3 Drainage Pattern of southeastern Louisiana 5 4 Vegetation of Southeastern Louisiana 11 5 Types of Ecological and Cultural Adjustments to Natural Levee Topography 12 6 Indian Tribes of southeastern Louisiana 14 7 The Settlement Forms of Northern p'riS'nce, Germany, and the Low Countries 32 3 Areas of French Land survey in Louisiana 37 9 settlement Pattern of Southeastern Louisiana Pocket 10 Diagrams of Linear Hamlet Growth sequence 44 11 Diagram of a T-Town 46 12 Bayou Du Large Settlement Pocket 13 Generalized Plats of Types of Plantation Centers 55 14 Diagram of the Settlement Pattern Along the Mississippi River 56 15 Diagram of the Settlement Pattern Along the Mississippi River 56 16 Aerial Photography of a Farm Landscape 58 17 Farm Landscape structure: Bayou Pointe au Chien 58 13 Farm Landscape Structure: Bayou L'Ourse 58 19 Bayou Pointe au Chien settlement Pocket 20 Bayou L'Ourse settlement Pocket 21 Trapper-Fisher-Landscape structure: Bayou Du Large 63 22 Bayou Gauche Settlement Pocket 23 Bayou Terre Aux Boeufs Settlement Pocket v Plate Number Following Page 24 A Choctaw Palmetto House Near Mandeville 71 25 An Early Camp of Hoards 71 26 A Recent Palmetto Camp 76 27 A Recent Palmetto House 77 28 Fig. a. Porciiless Camp: Hoard-and-batten Construction Fig. b. Porchless Camp: Clapboard Construction 79 29 Fig. a. Porciiless Camp: Uoard-and-batten Construction Fig. b. Porchless Camp; Tarpaper Covering 80 30 Fig. a. Slied-porch Camp: Ooard-and-batten Construction Fig. b. slied-porch Camp: Clapboard Construction 80 31 Camp Facade: Type C 80 32 Camp Facades: Type A 80 33 A Shed-roof Trapper's Camp 81 34 Shotgun House Floor Plans 83 35 Shotgun House Appendages: Detached Kitchens 84 36 Shotgun House Appendages: Type T 84 37 Shotgun House Appendages: Type T 84 38 Shotgun House Appendages: Type L 84 39 Fig. a. Shotgun House Facade: Type S Fig. b. Shotgun House Fapade: Type C 86 40 Shotgun House Fafades: Type D 86 41 Shotgun House Facades: 'Type A 86 4 2 Shotgun Mouse Facades: Types T and P 86 43 Shotgun House Facades: Types v, F, and SD 86 44 Types of Creole Houses 89 45 Distribution of Creole Architecture At Its GreatestExtent 92 vi Plate Number Following Page 46 The Aocque House 97 47 Yucca House 9a 4b The Carre of a Half-timbered House 9b 49 The Carre of a Half-timbered House 98 50 Joinery Work in a Half-timbered House 98 51 Mud Filling in Half-timbered Construction 100 52 Brick Hogging in Half-timbered Construction 100 53 Half-timbered Construction 100 54 Half-timbered Construction: Interior Walls 100 55 Hoods on Creole Houses 101 56 Hoods on Creole Houses 101 57 An 'iarly Wavtlework Creole House 107 5b lixamples of the Hip-roof Creole House 117 59 Examples ot the Hip-roof Creole House 117 00 oixe Contrasts in Creole Houses 117 01 Creole House Appendages: separate kitchens 118 62 Types of Creole House Appendages 118 Fig. a. Separate Camp Kitchen Fig. b. Attached Camp Kitchen 63 Types of Creole House Appendages: dhed-roof Kitchen 118 i 64 Types of Creole House Appendages 119 Fig. a. A Normal "M" Creole Kitchen with Alleyway Fig. b. A Normal "M" Creole Kitchen with Closed Porch 65 Types of Creole House Appendages 119 Fig. a. A Reverse "M" Creole Kitchen Fig. b. -A "M" Camp Kitchen vii Plate Number Following Page 66 Types of Creole House Appendages 119 Fig. a. A Creole Kitchen: dide-back Location Fig. b. A Camp Kitchen: Side-front Location 67 Types of Creole House Apnendages » 119 Fig. a. L-aopendage Open Creole Kitchen Fib. b. L-appendage Closed Creole Kitchen 6tf Types of Creole House Appendages 1.19 Fig. a. L-appendage Open Camp Kitchen Fig. o. L-appendage Closed Camp Kitchen o9 Types ol Creole House Appendages: T-appendage Closed Creole Kitchen 119 70 Types of Creole House Appendages 119 Fig. a. T-appendage Open Camp Kitchen Fig, b. T-appendage Closed Camp Kitchen 71 An F.lementary Creole House 120 72 Involution of the Creole House 120 73 Creole House Floor Plans 122 74 Creole House Floor Plans 122 75- Creole House Floor Plans 122 76 Creole House Floor Plans 122 77 Creole House Floor Plans 122 7H Creole Houses of Moard-and-batten Construction 122 79 Creole Houses of Clapboard Construction 122 i>U Creole Mouses With Painted Front Calls 123 ol Distribution of the Hood 124 32 Creole House Details: Chimney Locations 124 viii ite ;•, umber Following '’age 83 Creole House Details 124 Fig. a, Batten Bhutters Fig. b. Tablette Fig, c. Tablette and Cistern 84 Creole House Details: Dormer Windows 125 35 Creole House Details: Outside 8 Lairs 125 86 Types of Regional Bungalows 127 87 Types of Regional Bungalows 127 83 Bayou Bungalows 127 89 Bayou Bungalows 127 90 Camp Boats 131 91 Fig. a. A Jhed of Riven Boards 133 Fig. b. A Barn of Riven Boards 92 Examples ol ^aJdle-roof Barns 134 93 Examples of Double-shed Barns 134 94 A Three-shed Barn 1.34 95 Chicken House and Roost 135 96 Byrup kills 135 97 Outdoor Ovens 137 93 Fences of Vertical Fieux 139 99 Fences of Horizontal Pieux 141 100 Types of Enclosures 142 101 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 102 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 103 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 104 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 ix Plate Number Following Page 105 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 106 Typical Farm Assemblages 143 107 Modern buyout Pirogues 153 108 Modern Jugotit Pirogues 153 109 Pirogue-making Tools 155 110 Pirogue Construction 155 111 Pirogue Construction 155 112 Methods of Paddling a Pirogue 157 113 Distribution of the buyout Pirogue 158 114 Plank Pirogues 160 115 Distribution of Plank Pirogues 161 110 Distribution of Plank and buyout Pirogues 161 117 Subregional Types of Plank Pirogues 162 118 A Plywood Pirogue 162 119 Chalarid's 163 120 Distribution of the Chaland and Paddle Boat 163 121 Distribution of the Skiff 167 122 Creole skiffs 167 123 Lake Skiffs 167 124 Canottes 168 125 Diagrams of Types of Jougs 169 126 J ougs 169 127 Bateaux 170 128 Distribution of the Bateau 171 129 Flatboats 172 130 Distribution of the Flatboat 173 x ABSTRACT Culture is the means by which the accomplishments of a people are transmitted from generation to generation. In addition to non-material things such as language, religion, and customs, the conservative force of culture also affects the material products such as dwellings and other structures and thus manifests itself in a landscape which bears the mark of a particular people. Much has been done in the study of the non-material culture of the Louisiana french people, but little for the material aspects of that culture group.