Last Island, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Last Island was a barrier island
and a pleasure resort southwest of New Orleans
on the south shore of Louisiana
, USA. It was destroyed by the Last Island Hurricane
of August 10, 1856. Over 200 people perished in the storm, and the island was left void of vegetation.
After the hurricane destroyed the island, it became known in the plural Isles Dernières (Last Islands) in French. The highest points were under 5 ft (1.5 m) of water.
Last Island was south of Dulac, Louisiana
, between Lake Pelto, Caillou Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico
. The island was originally approximately 25 miles in length before being split in half by the storm, but today only small pieces of several smaller islands remain. As a result of the hurricane and subsequent storms, Isle Dernière was fragmented into five smaller islands: East, Trinity, Whiskey, Raccoon, and Wine (a.k.a Vine Island). The western end of the remaining westernmost island is known as Racoon Point. The remnants of Last Island are now a haven for pelican
s and other seabird
s. Part of the Isles Dernieres chain is the Terrebonne Barrier Islands Refuge, which encompasses three islands, Wine, Whiskey, and Raccoon Island, is closed to the public. The closest village is Cocodrie, LA, which is about 13 miles to the northeast of Trinity Island.
Regular steamer service to the island was provided by the Star from Bayou Boeuf, LA. The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad
provided a connection to Bayou Boeuf from Algiers, LA, a short ride on the Algiers Train Ferry across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter landing at St. Anne St. Regular railroad fare was $3.50 with half fare for children and servants.
Every structure on the island including the hotel, a large, two-story wooden structure of considerable strength, was destroyed. See: 1856 Last Island Hurricane
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
and a pleasure resort southwest of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on the south shore of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, USA. It was destroyed by the Last Island Hurricane
1856 Last Island Hurricane
The Last Island hurricane of 1856 was an intense Atlantic hurricane that destroyed Last Island in southern Louisiana. The first tropical cyclone, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, it rapidly intensified before making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The powerful...
of August 10, 1856. Over 200 people perished in the storm, and the island was left void of vegetation.
After the hurricane destroyed the island, it became known in the plural Isles Dernières (Last Islands) in French. The highest points were under 5 ft (1.5 m) of water.
Last Island was south of Dulac, Louisiana
Dulac, Louisiana
Dulac is a census-designated place in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,458 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, between Lake Pelto, Caillou Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The island was originally approximately 25 miles in length before being split in half by the storm, but today only small pieces of several smaller islands remain. As a result of the hurricane and subsequent storms, Isle Dernière was fragmented into five smaller islands: East, Trinity, Whiskey, Raccoon, and Wine (a.k.a Vine Island). The western end of the remaining westernmost island is known as Racoon Point. The remnants of Last Island are now a haven for pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s and other seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s. Part of the Isles Dernieres chain is the Terrebonne Barrier Islands Refuge, which encompasses three islands, Wine, Whiskey, and Raccoon Island, is closed to the public. The closest village is Cocodrie, LA, which is about 13 miles to the northeast of Trinity Island.
Resort at Last Island
Before the hurricane, Isle Dernière (Last Island) was a popular resort where people could enjoy white sand beaches and clearer water, which are not found on the marshy mainland. Last Island was also known for an almost continuous breeze, which would have been welcomed by those escaping the suffocating heat of the mainland. Accommodations included the John Muggah's Ocean House Hotel, and for entertainment there were several gambling establishments and the Captain Dave Muggah's Billiard House. Several hundred yards to the west of the hotel was the settlement known as Last Island Village which consisted of approximately 100 beach homes, some "fine" houses and other temporary summer houses.Regular steamer service to the island was provided by the Star from Bayou Boeuf, LA. The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad
New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad
The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad was chartered in 1852. Construction began at Algiers, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, in late 1852. By 1857, the track had reached Brashear on Berwick Bay, and this remained the end of the line for over 20 years...
provided a connection to Bayou Boeuf from Algiers, LA, a short ride on the Algiers Train Ferry across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter landing at St. Anne St. Regular railroad fare was $3.50 with half fare for children and servants.
Every structure on the island including the hotel, a large, two-story wooden structure of considerable strength, was destroyed. See: 1856 Last Island Hurricane
1856 Last Island Hurricane
The Last Island hurricane of 1856 was an intense Atlantic hurricane that destroyed Last Island in southern Louisiana. The first tropical cyclone, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season, it rapidly intensified before making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The powerful...
Further reading
NOTE: The book title is incorrectly indexed in Google books- Island in a Storm: A Rising Sea, a Vanishing Coast, and a Nineteenth-Century Disaster that Warns of a Warmer World, by Abby Sallenger, Public Affairs, Perseus Book Group, NY, 2009. ISBN 1-58648-515-6, ISBN 978-1-58648-515-3