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David Abbott, who came to Crowley from Michigan in 1888 and settled down to grow rice, was not the first farmer to realize that we needed more than rainfall to irrigate a big field of water-loving rice. But he is credited with being the first one to do something about it.
In 1894 he built a canal 15 miles long and 40 feet wide to irrigate his crop, and created a clumsy but workable system to lift water out of the canal and get it into his fields.
That set off a boom. By 1900, there were more than 400 miles of irrigation canals cutting through the south Louisiana prairies, and plans to build more of them and bigger ones.
But canals were expensive and couldn’t go everywhere. Some farmers in the Mermentau area tried to irrigate fields with shallow wells, but they didn’t give enough water to cover much ground. Part of the problem was that the early pumps couldn’t pull water from very deep.
But more powerful pumps were developed in the late 1890s, and growers began to think harder about deeper wells. One of them was S. L. Carey, who the Jennings Times reported in 1899, was “talking about … a river of pure water 150 feet below the surface, 150 miles wide, running from the Ozark mountains to the Gulf, through the prairie region.”
He was referring to aquifers, porous underground formations that hold water. The Chicot aquifer is the one beneath 15 southwest Louisiana parishes — Vernon, Rapides, Evangeline, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Acadia, St. Landry, Lafayette, St. Martin, Cameron, Iberia, Vermilion, and St. Mary.
Carey thought he could tap into the deeper water, and put his idea to the test. The Abbeville Meridional noted several months later that he’d put down two wells on his land near Jennings, each six inches wide and reaching down to the aquifer.
“After a severe test had been made,” according to that report, “pump men and farmers who were present” said the two wells “unquestionably would supply water enough to flood 200 acres of rice.” When a part of the pump was removed, water shot eight feet into the air, the newspaper said.
That touched off another surge. A later account said that “a great many wells of this kind are being put down … where the canals do not reach, and in the majority of cases enough water is obtained … to flood from seventy-five to one-hundred acres.”
South Louisiana historian Donald Millet noted in a history of the rice industry, “Small rice farmers were no longer at the mercy of the large monopolistic canal companies; they could now have their own deep wells. The year 1899 saw fifty-five wells drilled in Acadia [Parish] and from Lake Charles to Crowley and Gueydan there were about 200 wells in operation, with predictions that the next year would see six wells sunk for every one put down in 1899.”
Those predictions came true, and by the turn of the century deep wells were being used to build big farms all across the once-parched prairie.
One of those in Acadia was the Jones Plantation midway between Crowley and Eunice. Deep wells were pumping abundant water for the plantation and surrounding area when the railroad built a station there in 1906. Landowners around the new station saw an opportunity to promote their well-watered lands (pun intended), so they named the station Morewater. They figured that putting the name on the railroad maps might help new farmers decide where to settle.
Local historians don’t know for sure why it was shortened to Mowata. The story persists that it was changed when the railroad finally built a depot there. According to the tale, when the station was finished and it was time to put up the Morewater sign, nobody could find a board long enough to print the whole name in the letter size required by the railroad. Thus, it was abbreviated to Mowata.
I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the tale, or deny its possibility, but as far as I know nobody’s come up with a better explanation.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

ERATH – A Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Margerine Landry Nunez, 95, will be held at 3:00PM on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church with Fr. Clinton Sensat officiating. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Lourdes Mausoleum.
Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Erath on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 beginning at 8:00AM until the time of the services with a recitation of the rosary at 11:00AM.
A native of Vermilion Parish and a resident of Erath, Mrs. Nunez died at 7:25PM on Thursday, September 15, 2022 at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Margerine was an excellent seamstress and was known for her enjoyment of reading, cooking, traveling and going to the casino.
She is survived by two sons, Scotty Nunez and his wife Harriet of Erath and Carson Nunez and his wife Fran of Erath; two daughters, Vickie Nunez of Erath and Lanette LeBlanc and her husband Robert of Delcambre; twelve grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph “Slim” Nunez; her parents, Calvin and Elizabeth L. Landry; two sons, Jason Nunez and Earlon Nunez; a brother, Kirby Landry; a sister, Lona Faye Deslatte; and two grandchildren, Kent Nunez and Joshua LeBlanc.
Serving as pallbearers will be Eric LeBlanc, Kirk Nunez, Mitchel Nunez, Kyle Nunez, Carson Nunez, and Tony Landry.
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Scott Nunez, Mark Nunez, Dr. Jade Nunez, and Beau Nunez.
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
David Funeral Home of Erath at 209 E. Putnam St. (337)937-0405 will be handling the arrangement.

Neil Arsement is a successful business owner and reserve officer who is passionate about the safety of the citizens in his community. He has lived in Maurice for the past 15 years and is committed to making it a better place to live.
Arsement is the Co-owner at Dumpster Pro. He is also the Owner and Founder of Superior Surface Wash, G & H Construction, GDA Properties and G & H Farms. He has a wealth of experience, is passionate about his work, and takes great pride in his achievements. He is a hard worker and is always willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. His dedication to his work and his commitment to customer satisfaction are what make him a valuable asset to Maurice.
Maurice is a rapidly growing city, and with that growth comes the need for responsible leadership. Arsement understands the importance of innovation and strategic planning in order to provide the best possible service to Maurice’s residents. He will work hard to ensure that
Maurice keeps pace with future growth and remains fiscally responsible. By thinking outside the box and implementing successful plans, Arsement will help make Maurice an even better place to live.
Arsement is a strong supporter of the police department and believes they are essential to keeping the community safe. He has served as a reserve officer for the past 5 years, and his experience has shown him the importance of having a well-trained and equipped police force. He will work to ensure that the Maurice Police Department has the resources it needs to keep the community safe.
As a family man who puts family first, Arsement knows that a strong family is the foundation of a strong community, and he will work to make Maurice a place where families can thrive.
Arsement is running for mayor because he wants to make a difference in Maurice. He is committed to making the city a safe and prosperous place for all its residents. He is dedicated to bringing growth to Maurice to strengthen the economy, provide a better quality of life and build on local assets.
“I am excited to see Maurice emerge as a centerpiece for growth between Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. As a business owner and manager, I bring a wealth of experience and skills to the table that will be essential in leading Maurice forward. I have a proven track record of success in starting, owning, and managing small businesses. This has given me the strategic planning and implementation skills that are so important in today’s ever-changing world,” Arsement said.
He continues, “I am confident that I can help Maurice meet the challenges we all face together.
With my experience and dedication, I know that we can achieve great things. “

Paid for by
Neil Arsement

LAGRANGE - The Kaplan Pirates got the victory they needed on Friday.
The Pirates crushed LaGrange 40-14 to improve to 1-2.
Kaplan head coach Cory Brodie was happy to get that first win in 2022.
“It is a breath of fresh air,” said Brodie.
The Pirates rushed for a season-high 394 yards.
Caden Campisi had a season-high performance, rushing for 269 yards on 26 yards a carry. He scored three touchdowns.
He had TD runs of 5-.1- and 53-yards.
At halftime, the Pirates led 24-6.
Campisi had a 5-yard TD run and 1-yard run TD run, while Bradyn Bearb had a six-yard TD run in the first half.
Bearb finished with 13 carries for 81 yards and a score.
Jed Devoltz had five carries for 28 yards.
LaGrange did have success passing the football, throwing for 259 yards.
Campisi capped off his night with a 53-yard TD run with eight minutes to play in the game.
Kaplan is on the road Friday to battle Rayne.

Delcambre.........13
Pope John Paul ..9

The Delcambre Panthers scored the game-winning touchdown with around three minutes to play in the game.
Parker LeBlanc scored the TD from 20 yards away, giving Delcambre the 13-9 win.
The Panthers improved to 2-1, and Pope John Paul dropped to 0-3.
Delcambre head coach Artie Lizzua saw that Pope John Paul had an 0-2 record coming into the game. Their record did not fool him because he knew the team from Slidell had twice as many players as Delcambre. While Delcambre’s players played on offense and defense, Pope John Paul’s players only played one way.
“I was worried about them wearing us down,” said Liuzza. “They like to play ball control, and getting the ball back was going to be tough.”
The game was tied 0-0 at halftime, and the Panthers were down 9-7 going into the fourth period.
“We did wear down but got new life in the fourth quarter. We played gutsy,” said the Delcambre coach.
LeBlanc ran for 91 yards, while Jaxon Wiggins had 105 yards rushing.
Trevor Viator had two interceptions.