Morgan City LA is the home of the annual Shrimp & Petroleum Festival (REALLY), which is held every year on Labor Day weekend (the weekend before the first Monday in September). That festival recognizes the two pillars of the economy of this Cajun town on the Atchafalaya: Shrimping and Oil production.
Decades ago, Morgan City was once known as the "Jumbo Shrimp Capiatl of thr World," which ought to give you a hint about what they fish commercially here. Shrimping is still a major part of the local economy, and many shrimp boats are based at Morgan City. The Port Authority has set up a dedicated area under the US 90 bridge for shrimp boats to pull up and sell their catch directly to folks who come from miles around, since the locals know when the boats will show up.
From the City of Morgan City website, some history of the area and the commercial shrimping industry (which was king here until someone struck oil): (
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"The Attakapas Indians called it Atchafalaya or "long river". Stretching over 135 miles, the Atchafalaya river has been the life line affecting the history and tradition of Morgan City. From its first Attakapas residents to the present day shrimping and oil trade, the river has provided prosperity and opportunity coupled with difficult challenges to many generations. As the tide ebbs and flows along the river, so does Morgan City. The city is a "gumbo" of French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Native and African American heritages blended into a strong belief in faith, tradition and family that define the strength of the city today.
Originally known as Tigre Island because of the spotting of an unknown cat there by a group of U.S. surveyors, the area attracted the attention of Kentucky planter and surgeon Walter Brashear. Brashear's subsequent subdividing of his sugar cane plantation was the beginning of the first permanent settlement known as the town of Brashear.
Because of Morgan City's strategic marine location, the town of Brashear played a prominent role in the war between the states. Brashear was occupied by Federal troops for over three years. It was in Morgan City that the Union troops planned the destruction of the Avery Island salt mines, the cutting off of Rebel supply lines from Texas, the capture of Texas to restore her to the Union, and the annihilation of all Confederate resistance in southwest Louisiana. The remains of Fort Starr, a Union fort, are still visible.
Following the war, Charles Morgan, a steamship and railroad entrepreneur, successfully dredged the Atchafalaya Bay Channel and made Brashear his base of operations. As a result, Brashear became a bustling trade center for animal fur, cypress timber, and seafood. In 1876, the town was renamed Morgan City in his honor.
The late 1800s and early 1900s was an era of growth and development. Many of the historic buildings such as Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, and Pharr Chapel Methodist as well as distinctive homes including Cotton Top, the Norman-Schreier House, and the Turn-of-the-Century House were constructed. Boat building, moss picking, and a shell crushing plant broadened Morgan City's economic base.
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In 1937, Morgan City became known as the "jumbo" shrimp capital of the world. A community strongly rooted in Catholicism and tradition, a "blessing of the fleet" was held to insure a safe return and a bountiful harvest. Following the blessing, the celebration traveled to Egle's Place for a fais-do-do, a Cajun dance. This was the inception of the Louisiana Shrimp Festival, the state's oldest chartered harvest festival.
A decade later, Morgan City made national headlines when Kerr-McGee Industries drilled the first successful offshore oil well out of sight of land. According to The Times Picayune, it was the most significant discovery to date. The "black gold rush" marked a new era in the city's prosperity. Because of its considerable importance to the economy, "petroleum" was added to the Louisiana Shrimp Festival. The present day Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival is held every Labor Day weekend in the historic district."
Want proof that shrimping and buying the shrimp at the pier is a big part of the culture of Morgan City? See here: (
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"MAYOR: SHRIMP STILL FOR SALE ALONG MORGAN CITY RIVERFRONT
Thu, 2015-07-30 13:20
Morgan City’s wharf improvement project has forced shrimp boats to move. But shrimpers are still open for business along the riverfront in Morgan City, Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said.
The city’s wharf improvement project began June 15, and the shrimp boats selling shrimp had to be relocated, Grizzaffi said. Some of the boats moved to Berwick, and others stayed on the Morgan City side on the Atchafalaya River near Brashear Avenue, Grizzaffi said.
But the new spot in Morgan City is less visible to potential customers, and shrimpers saw a direct hit to their business, Grizzaffi said.
The rest of the dock is currently off limits to the public and will be for at least another six months while the wharf is under construction, Grizzaffi said.
After a couple shrimpers contacted Grizzaffi, he decided to publicize their new location through social media.
“Even though our fleet is not like the old days, we still have around eight local fishermen that still utilize the city’s riverfront for their commercial shrimping industry-type business,” Grizzaffi said. “We think it’s beneficial to keep these guys around, and we need to make sure, as a city, we do what’s necessary to keep those jobs viable, especially when we interrupt their business with this big wharf project.”
Grizzaffi wants to keep the shrimping business here “doing what the city’s known for,” he said.
Grizzaffi has also talked with Berwick Mayor Louis Ratcliff who has offered Berwick’s riverfront for shrimpers to dock at.
“We’re trying to work together to accommodate anybody who needs accommodating,” Grizzaffi said.
Ratcliff said Berwick officials want to help Morgan City while the wharf project is going on and hope that shrimpers stay in the area taking advantage of the offer to use Berwick’s riverfront to sell their shrimp.
Berwick has a newly renovated wharf area that “we think will accommodate them,” Ratcliff said.
This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com."