Thursday, June 5, 2014

Arnaudville, LA

Arnaudville is a town in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 1,398 at the 2000 census.

The St. Martin Parish portion of Arnaudville is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the St. Landry Parish portion is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History:

On the original site of an Attakapas Indian village, Arnaudville is one of the oldest remaining towns in St. Landry Parish. First called La Murière, it was later known as La Jonction which meant "The Junction" translated from French. By the 19th century, the town was named after the Brothers Arnaud, who had donated a large amount of land to the town to make a Church for whites and blacks (which still exists today). The Arnauds were the family in which the town got its final name from, many of whose descendants still live in the area. But the French had settled the town in the late 18th century.

Arnaudville was incorporated in 1870.

Arts And Culture:

Today, the town is host to the Étouffée Festival, held the 4th weekend in April, Le Feu et l'Eau—Fire and Water Rural Arts Celebration which is held in December and Bayou Blues Revival' which is held in April. Since 2005, attracted by its quaint setting and unique culture, the town has become a haven for artists and musicians from around the world.

Notable People:

External Links:

www.thecajuns.com "Louisiana History: Old and New Place Names"
www.stlandryparish.com "Arnaudville, LA"
www.nonco.org 
Attakapas Indian village
The town was named after the Brothers Arnaud