The geographically isolated multi-ethnic fishing village of between 1,500 and 1,600 inhabitants provided seafood to restaurants in New Orleans.

By 1893 the geographically isolated and predominantly French speaking community had between 1,500 and 1,600 men, women, and children that included Creoles from New Orleans, Acadians from Lafourche Parish, Italian immigrants, displaced Germans and Prussians, non-Acadian French, and some of Spanish descent.

Some fishing camps, a few residents, and some bait shops is mainly all that can be seen as the Grand Isle bridge is approached.

[2] The island is situated west of Grand Isle, protruding into the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 55 miles from New Orleans by boat, at the southern tip of Jefferson Parish.

The official count was 779 dead or almost half the population leaving very little evidence and even the grave yard was decimated.