Shrimping is new exhibit's subject

The Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum, 118 Cotten Road in Patterson, is unveiling a new exhibit 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday.
“From Berwick Bay to Étouffée: Shrimping in Louisiana” is the title of the exhibit and it explores the history of the shrimping industry in St. Mary Parish. Louisiana State Museum — Patterson invites anyone who would like to join in to celebrate this new exhibit and will offer a free reception, including hors d’oeuvres and libations.
“Louisiana’s art, history, and culture provide nourishment for our citizens, our visitors, and our economy. This exhibit, which shares the fascinating and appetizing story of the growth of south Louisiana’s great seafood industry, is an integral part of our history and culture that feeds your soul,” said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser in a press release from the Louisiana Office of the Lieutenant Governor Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Louisiana State Museum.
The exhibit traces the history from the shrimping industry in St. Mary Parish from its heyday through the present era.
In the late 1930s, Berwick Bay experienced a shrimp boom due to the discovery of a jumbo-sized white shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp fishermen from Florida and the Atlantic Coast joined locals and filled the docks in and around Berwick Bay, using towns like Morgan City and Patterson as starting points for deep-water shrimping expeditions.
The exhibit also explores the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, which attracts more than 140,000 visitors each year.
Most of the artifacts and images on display come from the collection of F.C. “Butch” Felterman Jr., a native of Patterson and a former shrimp boat owner and captain. Felterman created a small, private museum on his property on the Lower Atchafalaya River dedicated to the local shrimp industry. From Berwick Bay to Étouffée: Shrimping in Louisiana will allow Felterman’s collection to reach a broader audience.
The exhibit will be on display through September 2020.
The museum is open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free and school groups are welcome.