What towns/cities in Louisiana should've been a lot bigger than they are?

Bunkie

Hammond

2 interstates intersect there. Close to major waterways. Seems like it should be bigger than it is. Or, at least, have better amenities.

Ville Platte, like dat

Bogalusa

Bawcomville.

Pineville if only Baton Rouge hadnt stolen away LSU.

not LA but I don't understand why Natchez never became bigger

You'd think there should have ben a major city between Memphis & NO

Natchez was a big deal pre-civil war. In 1840 it had more millionaires than any city in America, Not per capita -- more millionaires, period.

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Opelousas, Was originally slated to get all of the O&G industry but ended up in Laff. Not sure the reason.

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I think there were two reasons. The first is that the state offered Opelousas a courthouse or a small universtiy (what was then SLI) and Opelousas government chose the courthouse. Then Herbert Heymann donated the land in what is the Oil Center in Lafayette under the condition that it be used to foster O&G development. Lafayette took off compared to Opelousas and they eventually lost the courthouse as well.

The whole state could have twice the population if it weren't for all of the politicians needing cash to line their pockets with.

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Was reading about how Galveston was suppose to be Houston but a Category 4 hurricane destroyed everything.

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That’s kind of an old wives tale. Houston had already surpassed Galveston in population before the hurricane and Galveston was limited by being surrounded by water.