AGE OF MECHANIZATION

Technology changed "the face of Louisiana . . . dramatically between the antebellum years and the eve of World War II." The innovations came in two forms. One consisted of improvements in transportation systems, such as the steamboat, the railroad, and the automobile. The second related to advancements in the harvesting and processing of raw materials, including oil and gas, rice, and lumber.

Each of these new technologies gave Louisiana a specific architectural legacy. Warehouses for the storage of goods are the primary buildings left to illustrate the steamboat era, while passenger and freight depots are the buildings most closely associated with the railroad. A whole line of roadside industries developed to service the automobile driver. These included gas stations, diners, motels, and auto showrooms. The car also generated major improvements to the state's road and bridge system.

Today a few company towns and buildings financed by the lumber boom survive to illustrate that industry's importance to the state. Sadly, there is little left to directly represent Louisiana's oil and gas era. Instead, the period is represented by the homes and commercial and institutional buildings which that boom financed. Some historic rice mills and warehouses survive. Equally interesting are the stylish residences financed by rice-generated prosperity. Since their builders were often immigrants from the Midwest, a number of these homes were built along the lines of houses found up North. As a result, portions of some southwest Louisiana towns resemble Midwestern rather than Louisiana neighborhoods.