*Ø* Blogmanac | The last waltz on Last Island

August 10, 1856 More than 140 vacationers – perhaps many more – drowned at a ball on Last Island, Louisiana, USA when a hurricane drove huge waves over the resort island. Last Island (Islas Dernieres, or L’Ile Derniere), 45 miles south of Houma, was a playground for Southern aristocrats but since the storm has been reduced to four small islands that continue to diminish in size.

Local lore says that the privateer Vincent Gambi looted the bodies, burying his booty on Treasure Bayou near an area known as La Chene a Gambi (Gambi's Oak). People approaching it on a dark, stormy night hear the mournful music heard by those who were doomed on Last Island. Or, so it is said.

The Legend of L’Ile Dernier