Mamou’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 4 old photos of Mamou. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Many stories exist regarding the origin of the name "Mamou". One may have been the legendary Indian, Chief Mamou. It is certain that this vast prairie was known as "Mamou Prairie" as far back as the 18th century and that Anglo-Americans first called it "Mammouth Prairie" because of its immense size. When the French came, they called it "Mamou" for mammoth. "Mamou" is also a family name found in France.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowStart Mamou’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mamou’s history is told.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewParade at Cajun Mardi Gras festiv…, 1989: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Mamou
See all 10 →
Mamou, decade by decade
Nothing in Mamou is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Mamou has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Ville Platte Post Office in Ville Platte, 9.2 miles away.
Mamou and the nearest listed places
How a place gets listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Parade at Cajun Mardi Gras festival 1989 (1989) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.