Evangeline Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evangeline Parish
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Parish
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Evangeline Bank and Trust Co. Building, Ville Platte, Louisiana
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Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
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 Louisiana's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Named for | Acadian heroine of the poem "Evangeline" |
| Seat | Ville Platte |
| Largest city | Ville Platte |
| Area | |
| • Total | 680 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
| • Land | 662 sq mi (1,710 km2) |
| • Water | 17 sq mi (40 km2) 2.5% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 32,350 |
| • Density | 47.6/sq mi (18.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Evangeline Parish (French: Paroisse d'Évangéline) is a special kind of county called a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. In 2020, about 32,350 people lived there. The main town, or parish seat, is Ville Platte.
Contents
History
Evangeline Parish was formed in 1910. It was created from parts of St. Landry Parish. Many of the first settlers were French Canadians. Some were also former soldiers from French forts. Later, more French-speaking families joined them in the 1800s.
These early families were born in French colonies. This included the huge "la Nouvelle France" territory. Later, some were born when Louisiana was under Spanish rule.
Many people in Evangeline Parish have French, English, or Spanish family roots. These families came during Louisiana's colonial times. Some common French last names are Fontenot, Ardoin, and Guillory. People with Spanish heritage from the Canary Islands also settled here. Their names include Ortego and Rozas. Many English Americans moved from the Eastern United States. They often married into Acadian families. Some English last names are Chapman and Young.
A few Acadians, like François Pitre, settled in this area. They enjoyed the lifestyle of the Cajun planters. This was before the American Civil War.
The parish was named Evangeline after a famous poem. It was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem is called Evangeline. Paulin Fontenot, one of the parish's founders, suggested the name. He thought it would help bring tourists to the area. The poem helped start tourism focused on Acadian history.
Evangeline Parish is even mentioned in a song! The Randy Newman song "Louisiana 1927" talks about it. The song describes the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. This flood covered the parish with six feet of water.
Ville Platte, Louisiana, the main town, got its name from a French soldier. His name was Adjutant Major Marcellin Garand. He was a soldier for Napoleon Bonaparte.
Geography
Evangeline Parish covers about 680 square miles. Most of this area, about 662 square miles, is land. The rest, about 17 square miles, is water.
Major roads
Interstate 49
U.S. Highway 167
U.S. Highway 190
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 13
Louisiana Highway 29
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Neighboring parishes
- Rapides Parish (north)
- Avoyelles Parish (northeast)
- St. Landry Parish (east)
- Acadia Parish (south)
- Allen Parish (west)
Protected natural areas
- Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in the parish)
State parks
- Chicot State Park
- Louisiana State Arboretum
Communities
Cities
- Ville Platte (This is the main town and the largest one.)
Towns
Villages
Other communities
These are places that are not officially cities, towns, or villages.
Census-designated places
Other small communities
- Bayou Chicot
- Beaver
- Belaire Cove
- Frilot Cove
- Lake Cove
- Lone Pine
- Saint Landry
- Vidrine
People and population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 23,485 | — | |
| 1930 | 25,483 | 8.5% | |
| 1940 | 30,497 | 19.7% | |
| 1950 | 31,629 | 3.7% | |
| 1960 | 31,639 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 31,932 | 0.9% | |
| 1980 | 33,343 | 4.4% | |
| 1990 | 33,274 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 35,434 | 6.5% | |
| 2010 | 33,984 | −4.1% | |
| 2020 | 32,350 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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| Group | Number of people | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 21,162 | 65.42% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 8,609 | 26.61% |
| Native American | 45 | 0.14% |
| Asian | 183 | 0.57% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,013 | 3.13% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,336 | 4.13% |
In 2020, there were 32,350 people living in the parish. They lived in 12,172 homes, and 7,739 of these were families.
Education
The Evangeline Parish School Board runs the public schools in Evangeline Parish.
Public schools
- Bayou Chicot Elementary School (Grades Pre-K to 8) (Ville Platte)
- Chataignier Elementary School (Grades Pre-K to 8) (Chataignier)
- James Stephens Montessori School (Grades Pre-K to 6) (Ville Platte)
- Mamou Elementary School (Grades Pre-K to 4) (Mamou)
- Vidrine Elementary School (Grades Pre-K to 8) (Ville Platte)
- Ville Platte Elementary School (Grades Pre-K to 4) (Ville Platte)
- W. W. Stewart Elementary (Grades Pre-K to 4) (Basile)
- Basile High School (Grades 5 to 12) (Basile)
- Mamou High School (Grades 5 to 12) (Mamou)
- Pine Prairie High School (Grades 9 to 12) (Pine Prairie)
- Ville Platte High School (Grades 5 to 12) (Ville Platte)
- Evangeline Central School (Grades 4 to 12) (Ville Platte)
Other schools
The Diocese of Lafayette also has one school in the parish:
- Sacred Heart School (Grades K to 12) (Ville Platte)
There is also one private school not connected to a church:
- Christian Heritage Academy (Grade K) (Ville Platte)
For higher education, Evangeline Parish has a campus of South Louisiana Community College:
- C. B. Coreil Campus (Ville Platte)
Notable people
Many interesting people have come from Evangeline Parish:
- Amédé Ardoin, a famous Creole singer and accordion player.
- Danny Ardoin, a former professional baseball player (catcher).
- Dewey Balfa, a well-known Cajun fiddler.
- Jeffery Broussard, a zydeco musician.
- Harry Choates, another famous Cajun fiddler.
- Rene L. De Rouen, who was a US Representative for Louisiana.
- Winston De Ville, a famous genealogist (someone who studies family history).
- Austin Deculus, an NFL football player.
- J. Douglas Deshotel, a Roman Catholic bishop.
- Eric LaFleur, a lawyer and state Senator.
- Joseph Verbis Lafleur, a Catholic priest and US Army chaplain who died in World War II.
- Ladislas Lazaro, who was also a US Representative for Louisiana.
- Barry Manuel, a former professional baseball player (pitcher).
- Jimmy C. Newman, a popular Cajun and country music singer.
- Austin Pitre, a Cajun musician.
- Ronald G. Richard, a retired Marine Corps major general.
- Steve Riley, an accordion player and co-founder of the band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.
- Floyd Soileau, a record producer.
- Leo Soileau, a Cajun musician and recording artist.
- Keith Sonnier, an artist and sculptor.
- T. Ashton Thompson, a US Representative for Louisiana.
- Arthur Vidrine, a doctor who operated on former Louisiana governor Huey P. Long.
- Clyde Vidrine, a famous bodyguard for former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards.
National Guard
The 1086th Transportation Company is located in Ville Platte, Louisiana. This unit is part of the National Guard.
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Evangeline para niños
