Winding through Time: The Forgotten History and Present-Day Peril of Bayou Manchac

by Mary Ann Sternberg

Once considered one of the most important waterways in the American southeast and a vital link in a shortcut from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana's Bayou Manchac rests in virtual obscurity today. Few now notice the bayou―which runs for eighteen miles, forming the boundary between several south Louisiana parishes―or remember that everyone from French explorers and steamboat captains to modern-day loggers and fishermen have plied its waters and lived along its banks. Even fewer are aware that the bayou remains a place of striking, intense beauty in spots untouched by development and pollution. In Winding through Time, Mary Ann Sternberg interweaves the bayou's history with tales, anecdotes, and personal observations, creating an entertaining and educational introduction to this overlooked natural haven.

With the tenacity and skill of a historical detective, Sternberg uncovers Bayou Manchac's rich and colorful past. She reveals that the waterway that most know only by weathered highway signs on the parish line served, several times in its history, as an international border, forming part of the northern boundary of the "Isle of Orleans." She recalls the flourishing Native American cultures that occupied sites along the bayou as early as 250 b.c. and describes the many unsuccessful schemes over the years to make it navigable and thus provide a major commercial artery connecting the Mississippi River with Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain. Bayou Manchac survives still, she shows, as a somewhat frayed relic of our natural past valued mainly for its drainage capacity and abused by polluters.

More than simply an environmental history, however, Sternberg's Winding through Time offers her personal narrative of "discovering" Bayou Manchac a few years ago and her growing awareness of its untamed beauty, historical significance, and threatened well-being. She traveled the bayou, meeting some of the people who live along its banks and who shared many of their stories. Through her engaging prose and lively commentary, she succeeds in providing a life-history and, indeed, a personality, for this geographical feature.

Sternberg shines a long overdue spotlight on Bayou Manchac, questioning how such a valuable resource could have become so diminished. As she eloquently illustrates, the wandering tale of this little waterway, though unique, also strikes a cautionary note for other small historic American streams.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2007

Reviews

[Shirley (stampartiste) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book probably only holds regional interest, and as it is the lazy bayou that was responsible for flooding our home in 2016, I found it immensely interesting. One of the tidbits Sternberg divulged was that there was once a thriving Native American community that lived on the banks of the Manchac but disappeared long before Europeans arrived. They left behind a series of Indian Mounds. Another tidbit was that the Manchac was once the border between British and Spanish territories... so hard to believe this little bayou could have had any international importance. This book just goes to show that no matter where you go, there is always something interesting about that place!

[Amber]

DNF. I am struggling with this book. It's a hyper- local history and yet the airborne doesn't include a large enough map of the states to contextualize the various locations.

So. My only recourse is to plan a sight- seeing venture to this location so I can make sense of what is going on.

[Ken Duhe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with other reviewers that the book would appeal mostly to readers with a connection to the area. Having said that, the information was very well researched and presented in an entertaining manner.

I happen to live in a neighborhood right on the edge of Bayou Manchac (on the upper, dry end near the Mississippi). Halfway through the book, I was compelled to walk over to take a closer look at a feature I had passed so many times with hardly a glance. Standing there, looking at the maze of intertwined branches, vines and roots - with the occasional puddle of standing water from a recent rain shower - I could see that no boat could've possibly passed this way in years. I briefly felt the weight of history, as well as a connection with the explorers and dreamers who had sailed here so many years ago. Somewhat selfishly, I also felt thankful that their hopes of a bustling waterway did not come to fruition, preserving the quiet sanctuary we call home.

[Zoey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not well organized; one chapter was only a page long. No sources are cited, so it's not an academic book. Author interjects her own feelings and experiences on the bayou, some of which seem like pointless rambles. The book is probably supposed to be a call to action to save the bayou, but other then saying that the bayou has a past and is dying, the author doesn't show why we should care.

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little book about the history of a forgotten creek. The author did a great job.

[Bruce Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, short summary of the Bayou and its role in prehistoric and historic events. Good pics and (albeit small) maps. Mentions Leroy's book.