By the early twentieth century , Bayou Chene was the center of the Atchafalya Basin 's cypress and fur industry and housed many of the 1,000 full-time fisherman who fished the swamp 's shallow bottoms . Writing about her family 's experiences in the region , Gwen Roland describes how the community relied upon the basin 's waters for everything , including transportation : " '' Out here on the Chene , our skiffs flare out on the sides so they float high like an acorn cap ; it makes them quick to steer with an extra push on one oar or the other . This skiff floated deep and straight like a water trough or a coffin . '' " The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 nearly demolished the community . Rising seven feet above natural levees , the floodwaters inundated Bayou Chene for weeks . Local folklore says a village goat survived in the Methodist Church during this period on hymnals and wallpaper
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Atchafalaya Basin