McCrea, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
McCrea, Louisiana
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 McCrea, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
McCrea, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Pointe Coupee |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
70715
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| Area code(s) | 225 |
| GNIS feature ID | 543457 |
| FIPS code | 22-46965 |
McCrea is a small, unincorporated community. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It's located in the northwestern part of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. You can find it on the east bank of the Atchafalaya River, along Louisiana Highway 417. A post office was open in McCrea from 1902 until 1954.
Why McCrea Has Its Name
McCrea is named after an early settler named Bob McCrea. He started a large farm, called a plantation, in this area before the American Civil War.
McCrea's Geography and History
McCrea is well-known for being the place where a levee broke during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. A levee is a wall built to hold back water. In 1927, the Atchafalaya River had extremely high water levels. People worried that the Mississippi River might change its path and flow into the Atchafalaya.
Thousands of workers tried for weeks to stop the levee from breaking. But at 3:15 AM on May 24, the McCrea levee broke. This caused a huge flood that covered much of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, and Assumption Parishes. More than 10,000 people had to leave their homes.
After the floodwaters went down, a new levee was built. It curved around the big hole left by the broken levee. This area of water is now known as McCrea.
The 1971 Rock Festival
In June 1971, McCrea hosted a large rock music festival. It was sometimes called a "mini-Woodstock." More than 50,000 music fans came to the small community for the "Celebration of Life" concert. It was held between the levee and the Atchafalaya River.
The concert was planned to last for eight days. In just a few hours, the number of people in McCrea more than doubled the entire population of Pointe Coupee Parish! Rain, not enough places to stay, and limited facilities caused the festival to end earlier than planned. By the third day, over 150,000 people had gathered to enjoy the music.
Sadly, two people drowned in the fast-moving Atchafalaya River during the festival. The river had a very strong, unexpected current. Some of the famous music acts scheduled to play included:
- Pink Floyd
- The Beach Boys
- Chuck Berry
- B.B. King
- Melanie
- Boz Scaggs
- Brownsville Station
- Ike & Tina Turner
- Joe Cocker
- Stephen Stills & Neil Young
- Country Joe McDonald
- John Sebastian
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
