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History ©Kent-Hutslar

History

Explore the rich history of Lafayette Parish, where indigenous Atakapa-Ishak, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Opelousa cultures once thrived. Early settlers from France, Spain, and Acadia established vibrant communities along the Vermilion River and its bayous. Jean Mouton and surveyor John Dinsmore, Jr. designed St. Jean du Vermilionville in the 1820s, evolving into Vermilionville. Later, in 1823, Lafayette Parish was carved from St. Martin Parish, named after Marquis de Lafayette, a revolutionary hero. The town evolved into Lafayette and became the central hub of Acadiana, blossoming with a railroad stop, a dynamic population, and a bustling business district. To explore more of Lafayette, LA’s history, see below.

Inspiration Journal

Lafayette's blog showcasing the food, music, culture and history at the heart of Cajun & Creole Country.

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Blu Basil

Blu Basil

Dang Nguyen has one of those origin stories that makes you want to try his food. He's a Vietnamese American who owns and operates two Lafayette restaurants: Saigon Noodles on…

Burgersmith

Burgersmith

In the olden days, when you wanted something handcrafted, you went straight to the source. Burgersmith, a play on the word blacksmith, takes the concept of handcrafted and applies…

Tsunami

Tsunami

At the beginning of this century, downtown Lafayette was anything but a thriving commercial market, and Sushi was anything but pervasive in Louisiana. However, sisters Michele…

Getting to Lafayette

The city of Lafayette, LA is located in the center of Lafayette Parish at the intersection of I-10 and I-49 between New Orleans and Houston and only 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.

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