Morgan City

History

During the American Civil War, the Star Fort of Fort Brashear was the larger of two works erected by the Union Army occupying the city to defend a Federal military depot and the town. During the Bayou Teche Campaign, on the night of June 22, 1863, 325 Confederates of Gen. A. A. Mouton's command, led by Major Sherod Hunter, landed their skiffs and flats in the rear of the town. Attacking the next day, they surprised and captured the city, taking 1,300 Union prisoners, 11 heavy siege guns, 2,500 stands of rifles, immense quantities of quartermaster, commissary and ordnance stores. They also captured 2,000 African Americans, between 200 and 300 wagons and tents, all while suffering losses of only three killed, 18 wounded. In 1876, the community's name was changed to Morgan City in tribute to Charles Morgan, a rail and steamship magnate who first dredged the Atchafalaya Bay Ship Channel to accommodate ocean-going vessels. On September 11, 1961, an F2 tornado struck the city, causing heavy damage to the city and injuring 16 people. In middle April 1973, the city had 14 inch rainfall over 48 hours along with flooding in the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River systems, but the Army provided an engineering battalion to shore up emergency works to protect the city. On October 28, 1985, Hurricane Juan (not to be confused with the 2003 storm of the same name) made landfall near Morgan City, flooding many parts of the city. The storm then looped offshore and came onshore again in Alabama. On August 26, 1992, Hurricane Andrew came ashore to the southwest of Morgan City. Andrew was the second most destructive hurricane in U.S. history, crossing Florida and then regaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico before it struck Louisiana. In 2019, Morgan City and the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.03%, is water. The northeastern border of Morgan City is at the lower St. Martin Parish line via Louisiana Highway 70. U.S. Highway 90 (future Interstate 49) and Louisiana Highway 182 both pass through the city, both heading west to Lafayette. U.S. 90 also heads east approximately to New Orleans, while passing in between the cities of Houma, which is located approximately southeast, and Thibodaux, which is located northeast of Morgan City. U.S. 90 is a freeway between Morgan City and the Houma area with the route planned to become a section of future Interstate 49. Morgan City is served by the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport, a general aviation airfield located near the U.S. 90 four lane highway in nearby Patterson, Louisiana. If the Mississippi River were to experience a major course change in the vicinity of the Old River Control Structure or Morganza Spillway, the main channel of the river would likely then enter the Gulf of Mexico near Morgan City instead of New Orleans. Morgan City has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Morgan City High School
  High · Morgan City · 732 students · 20.9:1 ratio
• Hattie A. Watts Elementary School
  Elementary · Patterson · 609 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Berwick High School
  High · Berwick · 514 students · 21.4:1 ratio
• Morgan City Junior High School
  Middle · Morgan City · 488 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Berwick Elementary School
  Elementary · Berwick · 484 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Patterson High School
  High · Patterson · 452 students · 26.6:1 ratio
• Patterson Junior High School
  Middle · Patterson · 412 students · 20.6:1 ratio
• Berwick Junior High School
  Middle · Berwick · 388 students · 16.9:1 ratio