When Oysters Were King
The boom years: 1890-1940
European settlers found oysters abundant in coastal Louisiana. By 1890, enterprising Houma oystermen saw opportunity in the availability of ice, expanding railroads, and advances in canning. Oysters could now be shipped across the nation.
Houma boomed in the early 1900s as oyster processing plants flourished here along the bayou. The "Celebrated Houma Oyster" outpaced sugar as the prime commodity, driving the city's growth.
Photo Captions, left bottom to right top-
Employees and proprietors of C. Cenac and Co., 1905, here along Bayou Terrebonne. Thousands of gallons of oyster meat was shipped out daily in ice-packed railroad cars. Mountains of discarded shells were used to pave roads and add grit to chicken feed.
75 million oysters were shipped from Houma in 1905.
C. Cenac and Co. shucking room, 1927. During its peak years, the oyster industry employed half of the population of Houma. Men, women, and children worked long hours during shucking season.
Oyster shucking and antique oyster plate. Depending on availability, oysters have served as both a staple food for the poor and a delicacy for the rich.
Motivatit Seafood produces award-winning Gold Band Oysters in its Houma oyster processing facility.
Erected by Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Topics. This historical
this page online
Location. 29° 35.905′ N, 90° 43.214′ W. Marker is in Houma, Louisiana, in Terrebonne Parish. Marker can be reached from West Park Avenue north of Barrow Street (State Highway 182), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7910 West Park Avenue, Houma LA 70364, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bayou Terrebonne (here, next to this marker); The Great Acadian Upheaval (within shouting distance of this marker); The Grand Dérangement / Le Grand Dérangement (within shouting distance of this marker); New Acadia / Nouvelle Acadie (within shouting distance of this marker); A History of Terrebonne Parish (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1834-1934 (about 700 feet away); Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Square Oaks (approx. 0.2 miles away); Magnolia Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houma.
More about this marker. Located at the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 336 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 16, 2018.
