Chénière Caminada

from Chénière Caminada: Buried at Sea by Dale Roger

Despite the proximity of two communities and a shared language and religion, they
differed in most other respects.  While Grand Isle was becoming a Creole resort
community, with the occupants enjoying bright distractions like fishing, swimming and
exploring, life on Chénière Caminada was more serious and remained fairly isolated from
the outside world.  Grand Isle had its tourists and summer residents; Chénière Caminada
remained busy year around.  The tourists may visit to see the Chinese “dance” the shrimp
to remove the heads and shells.  

Dancing the shrimp
From Glorious Past, A Fragile Future

Since Grand Isle didn’t have a church, tourists would attend Sunday Mass on The
Chénière.  But they considered the people of Caminadaville to be socially inferior to
them.  

The residents of Caminadaville were hardworking people, but Sunday was reserved as
a day of rest, relaxation and religion.  Father Gaston d’Espinose arrived in 1882.  
Unwelcome at Grand Isle, he went to Chénière where he was taken in.  His mother
donated money to build the Catholic church there, and in Chénière Caminada: Another
Look by Rousse it’s noted that the church bell is said to have been cast from 700
pounds of gold and silver, including Father d’Espinose’s crested family plate, prized
heirlooms of his parishioners, and pirate booty.  By the 1890’s Caminadaville had
become a town of about 180 buildings including the Catholic church, four stores, a post
office, a school and a combination boarding house/resort.  

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at Chénière Caminada in 1891
From Lost Louisiana: Former coastal communities are gone, almost forgotten