Brittany, Louisiana facts for kids
Brittany is a small community located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. It's a place where people live and work, but it doesn't have its own city government.
A Look Back at Brittany's Past
Brittany wasn't always called Brittany! Long ago, this area was known as The Burn. Around 1907, a railroad line called the LR&N was built through the community. This made it easier for people and goods to travel.
About a year later, a post office was needed. The first postmaster, George W. Rice, asked Mrs. S. S. Ferguson to suggest a name. She chose "Brittany" because she liked how it sounded and thought it was unique. The Brittany post office opened on February 5, 1908, and it's still open today with the zip code 70718.
In the early days, there were small sawmills in the area, like "Hopper's." These mills used wood from nearby forests. A special railroad track was even built to carry logs and lumber to and from the mills. Later, another sawmill was built by Sidney St. Amant. Today, these old sawmills are gone. The main industry now is Alexander Concrete Products, which makes things like concrete steps.
The community also had an elementary school. It was built on land given by J. H. Dyer, and people in the community donated timber for its construction. At first, it was just one room, but later another room was added. This school served children for about 20 to 25 years. Now, most students from Brittany go to East Ascension High School or St. Amant High School.
Around 1900, some families settled in this area. They were mostly farmers who grew crops to sell. The main crops they grew were sugarcane and strawberries.
For many years, Brittany had different churches: Catholic, Baptist, and Latter-day Saint churches. While some of these original buildings are no longer standing, the Latter-day Saint chapel was rebuilt and moved to Louisiana Highway 30 in Brittany.
Some of the first families to settle here included Joseph Richardson, Charles G. Fridge, John Paxton, S. S. Ferguson, William Hurst, W. W. Hodgeson, Aidy Hudson, Joseph Brignac, Eugene Causey, J. J. Gonzales, Mike and Jim Savario, George W. Rice, Ernest Floyd, E. Clouatre, and Rene Bercegeay.
In the past, the roads in Brittany were very muddy and hard to use when it rained. Over time, they were improved with gravel and then paved with blacktop, making travel much easier.
Brittany Today
Today, Brittany (zip code 70718) is located between two other communities: Gonzales (zip code 70737) and Sorrento (zip code 70778). These three communities have always been connected by the railroad line and the Airline Highway (US Route 61). This highway links two major cities, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Mrs. S. S. Ferguson, who helped name Brittany, was Mary Alice Acy Ferguson. She had two sisters who also settled in Brittany with their families around 1900. All three sisters had large families. Today, many descendants from these families, even fifth and sixth generations, still live in Brittany.
The community has several places of worship, including Christian Assembly, Lutheran, Divine Grace, and Latter-Day Saints meeting houses. Most people in Brittany are either Baptist or Catholic. The community has about 500 residents.
