Manila Village
Jean Lafitte, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
MANILA VILLAGE ... At the turn of the 19th century, in nearby Barataria Bay, a group of Filipinos built raised structures on stilts above the water, which became known as Manila Village. These shrimp drying platform structures became one of the forerunners of the Louisiana shrimp drying industry. Local fisherman Quintin de la Cruz spearheaded the construction and development of manila Village. The platform community flourished for several decades until Hurricane Betsy completely destroyed it in 1965 ERECTED BY: PHILIPPINE-LOUISIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
The Story
Around the turn of the twentieth century, Filipino fishermen in nearby Barataria Bay built a community of houses and drying platforms on stilts above the water, known as Manila Village. Led by Quintin de la Cruz, its residents pioneered the sun-drying of shrimp that helped launch Louisiana's shrimp industry. The platform community endured for decades until Hurricane Betsy swept it away in 1965.
Why it matters
One of the earliest Filipino settlements in North America, Manila Village marks a little-known chapter of Asian immigration and the roots of a signature Gulf Coast industry.
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Related people
- · Quintin de la Cruz
Related events
- · Hurricane Betsy, 1965
Themes & tags
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