Before Europeans arrived, Indians lived in the Barataria region. Their shell middens, burial and ceremonial mounds are still found along the bayous. Cypress, oak, and gum forest filled the higher ground formed by the bayous. Tall cypress trees attracted the French who needed wood for ship construction. By 1720 logging was taking place in the virgin forest. Here a man could build a cabin and a boat and independently care for his family.

The man islands, shallow bays, and winding bayous attracted another type of business. French maps from 1729 name the area "Barataria", French for fraudulence, illegality, or "dishonesty at sea." Smugglers existed as part of business in early Louisiana. Privateers, operating under "letters of marque", roamed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. In 1808 the brothers, Jean and Pierre Lafitte, organized the smugglers and privateers headquarters at Grand Terre, a barrier island. They used the Indian shell middens along the bayou for storehouses and sold merchandise to merchants and plantation owners.

Pirates and privateers, the Baratarians were still patriots. During the War of 1812 the British offered to buy their services. Jean Lafitte stalled negotiations in order to get word to General Andrew Jackson. He and his men then helped defend the city during the Battle of New Orleans. Afterwards, the Baratarians were given pardons and many settled in the area. Their family names are still seen along the bayou. At this point the story of Jean Lafitte becomes hazy and no one is sure what became of the pirate-patriot.

The community developed along the alluvial ridge of the bayou. Residents harvested shrimps, crabs, oysters, and fish from the estuaries. The forests were logged until 1929. Harvesting moss, which could be used as filling in mattresses and furniture, continued through World War II. Mink, muskrat and alligators were trapped for their skin and fur. Plantations grew rice and sugar cane along the bayous of Barataria. Canary Islanders settled and farmed near current day Crown Point.

Large wooden platforms for drying shrimp were built over the marsh. Filipino and Chinese families lived on the platforms. Huts, stores, and docks were connected by wooden walkways above the pilings. The last of the drying platforms, Manila Village, was abandoned after Hurricane Betsy.

Cajun culture here is made up of more than Acadians; here you find a diverse mixture of people who enjoy life along the bayous.