Bayou Chene (translated to ''Oak Bayou'') was previously a small unincorporated community in

St. Martin Parish, Louisiana St. Martin Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 52 ...

, United States. The community was located in the Atchafalaya Basin.

History

Bayou Chene was a community settled in the 1830s, located approximately 40 miles north of Morgan City. The U.S. post office was established there in 1858. The settlers there ran a church, a school, a merchandise store and the post office, which were all located on the bayou. In the 1920s it had approximately 500 residents, most of whom had lived there for generations after settling there from other communities both within and outside of Louisiana. They were swampers, lumberjacks, trappers, farmers, fishermen and moss pickers. Despite occasional flooding, Bayou Chene thrived until the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 destroyed much of the community. The community rebuilt but declined after construction of the Atchafalaya Spillway levees and dredging of river channels caused repeated flooding of the community. The school was relocated to higher ground in 1945, and closed in 1953, shortly after the post office closed in 1952 — most of the residents left at that time. Today the historical community of Bayou Chene lies under approximately 12 feet of silt. Benjamin D. Maygarden and Jill-Karen Yakubik
"Bayou Chene: The Life Story of an Atchafalaya Basin Community"
''U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District'', 1999

Culture

U.S. Army Medic

Eugene Roe ''Band of Brothers'' is a 2001 American war drama miniseries based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book Band of Brothers (book), of the same name. It was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also served as executive ...

, portrayed in the 2001 Tom Hanks/

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

10-part World War II miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', was born in Bayou Chene.

References

Geography of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Ghost towns in Louisiana Acadiana {{Louisiana-geo-stub