Maurice, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maurice, Louisiana
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| Town of Maurice | |
The City Bar
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Location of Maurice in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Vermilion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2) |
| • Land | 2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,118 |
| • Density | 760.78/sq mi (293.69/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
70555
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| Area code(s) | 337 |
Maurice is a small town in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States. In 2010, about 964 people lived there. By 2020, the population grew to 2,118 people. Maurice is part of the larger Abbeville area.
History of Maurice
The town of Maurice was first called "Mauriceville". It got its name from its founder, Maurice Villien. He was from Savoy, France, and came to America in 1855. Maurice Villien sold goods in different cities like New Orleans.
Maurice and his wife owned land in the area. They built a home and a grocery store there. In 1889, Villien gave 10 acres of land for a church and a rectory. The town officially became a town on December 27, 1911. Maurice's son, Joseph Villien, became the first mayor and served until 1928. Today, a street named Joseph Street leads to the old family home.
The first church in the community was called La Chapelle a Maurice. Sunday services were held in a small schoolhouse on the Villien property. Later, the St. Alphonsus Church was built in January 1893. The first school, Broussard Cove School, was built in 1885. It moved to Maurice in 1899 on land given by Maurice Villien. This school was on Maurice Avenue and Indian Bayou Road until it burned down in 1914.
Where is Maurice?
Maurice is located in southern Acadiana, near the Gulf Coast. Its exact location is 30.107171 degrees north and -92.123977 degrees west. The town covers about 2.0 square miles (5.3 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.
The northeastern edge of Maurice is the border between Vermilion Parish and Lafayette Parish. U.S. Route 167 goes through Maurice. This road leads 11 miles northeast to Lafayette. Lafayette is the main town, or parish seat, of Lafayette Parish. The road also goes 10 miles south to Abbeville. Abbeville is the parish seat of Vermilion Parish.
Other nearby towns include Youngsville, which is about 9 miles east. Milton is about 4 miles east. You can reach both towns using Louisiana Highway 92, which crosses U.S. 167.
People of Maurice
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 330 | — | |
| 1940 | 420 | 27.3% | |
| 1950 | 335 | −20.2% | |
| 1960 | 411 | 22.7% | |
| 1970 | 476 | 15.8% | |
| 1980 | 478 | 0.4% | |
| 1990 | 432 | −9.6% | |
| 2000 | 642 | 48.6% | |
| 2010 | 964 | 50.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,118 | 119.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 642 people living in Maurice. By 2020, the population grew to 2,118 people. This shows that more people are choosing to live in Maurice.
Most people in Maurice are non-Hispanic white. There are also people who are Black, Asian, and from two or more races. A small part of the population is Hispanic or Latin American.
In 2005, most people in Maurice spoke English at home. About 25% of the people spoke French or Cajun. This shows the strong French heritage in Louisiana.
Famous People from Maurice
Many interesting people have come from Maurice:
- Denise Boutte, an actress
- Inez Catalon, a Creole singer
- J. Keith Desormeaux, a horse trainer
- Kent Desormeaux, a famous jockey in the Hall of Fame
- Ezola B. Foster, a conservative writer and activist
- Jesse Hernandez, a cheerleader for the National Football League
- Jeremy Stephens, a chef
- Cecil Picard, a politician
- Douglas L Villien, Sr., an author
- Eddie Raven, a singer and songwriter
See also
In Spanish: Maurice (Luisiana) para niños
