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a
VERMILION PARISH article 
Cultures
of Acadiana
a look at the French,
Cajun, Creole, and Native American cultures of south
Louisiana
(a project of Carencro
High School (721 West Butcher Switch Road,
Lafayette, LA 70507)
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Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser, June 24, 1997
Some memorable dates in Vermilion
Parish history
by Jim Bradshaw
1760
November--Fusilier de la Clair purchases from the Attakapas chief Kimino the land bounded on
the west by the Vermilion River and on the east by the Teche.1785
Spanish explorer Don Jose de Evia scouts along the Vermilion coast.1802
Marin Mouton pays $50 to the Attakapas Indian chief Bernard for land on the Vermilion River
that what would become Mouton Cove.1835
Kimball Chapel Methodist Church is established at Indian Bayou.1843
July 25--Father A. D. Megret pays for $900 to Joseph LeBlanc for the tract of land upon which
he would eventually found Abbeville.1844
March 25 -- The legislature creates Vermilion Parish from what was Lafayette Parish.1845
After the act creating Vermilion Parish specifies Perry's Bridge as the parish seat, Father Megret
talks to Robert Perry about establishing a chapel there. Perry offers swampy ground for the
chapel. Megret refuses and begins laying out the town around his chapel on the LeBlanc tract.1847
Nov. 4--A post office is established at Abbeville with Nicholas Demary as the first postmaster1850
March 13--Abbeville is incorporated by the Louisiana legislature.1852
Val Veazey publishes The Independent, the first newspaper in Vermilion Parish.1853
Dec. 5--Father Megret dies ministering to his flock during an epidemic that swept through the
region. It claimed 73 lives in Vermilion Parish.1854
January--Father S. J. Foltier is appointed the first resident pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Church
in Abbeville.
March 3--The Louisiana Legislature makes Abbeville the seat of justice for Vermilion Parish.
1856
St. Mary Magdalen Church, Abbeville, is blown down by a storm.
September--Father J. A. Poyet becomes pastor of St. Mary Magdalen
1857
Jan. 1 -- The first edition of the Abbeville Meridional is published.1859
Vigilance Committees are organized in St. Martin, Lafayette, and Vermilion parish to fight
roaming gangs of criminals.
Abbeville's city marketplace on Magdalen Square is sold at public auction to pay town debts.
1866
Father T. L. Lamy is named pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Church.1870
April -- Father Alexander Mehault becomes pastor of St Mary Magdalen Church.
Miss Blanche Ferret opens a private school in Abbeville. Tuition is $1.50 per month.
Alexander Geoffroy opens a general store at what is now Delcambre.
1873
A Methodist church is established at Prairie Greig.1877
A post office is established at Grand Marais, as Delcambre was first called.1879
March 7--A post office is established at Indian Bayou.1881
Jan. 22--James H. Williams is appointed the first official school superintendent in Vermilion
Parish.1884
Jan. 28--A post office is established at Ramsey.
Jean-Pierre Gueydan and his brother buy 40,000 acres of land in western Vermilion Parish.
1885
The Sisters of Mount Carmel open a convent and school in Abbeville.
April 6 -- Fire destroys the original Vermillion Parish courthouse at Abbeville.
1888
Joseph Theall is named postmaster at the community that bears his name.1891
The Iberia & Vermilion Railroad gets its charter.1894
The railroad connects Gueydan, Midland and Eunice.1895
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is established at Bancker. It would be moved to Henry in
1939 and become St. John Church.
Oct. 5--Some 80 lots are sold at auction to establish the community of Rockville.
1896
William Cade establishes a post office on his property and names it for his son, Bancker.
A Catholic church is built at Cossinade.
1897
May 28--An irrigation plant goes on line at Rockville.
Our Lady of the Lake church opens its doors at Delcambre.
1899
Aug. 9--The Gueydan town assembly holds its first meeting after incorporation.
September -- Father F. A. B. Leforest comes to Abbeville as St. Mary Magdalen pastor.
Abbeville citizens vote a five-mill tax to help bring the railroad to town.
A post office is established at Esther.
1900
Sept. 11--Fire destroys a section of downtown Abbeville.1902
Oct. 5--The first automobile arrives in Abbeville.1901
Abram Kaplan buys what had been the Todd Plantation.1903
Feb. 19--Fire destroys a number of buildings in downtown Abbeville.1904
The first Catholic church is built at Gueydan.1905
A public school opens at Esther.1906
Delcambre Commercial College opens with 42 students.1907
March 22--St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville is destroyed by fire.
Nov. 27--The town of Delcambre is incorporated.
1909
September -- A storm destroys Our Lady of Lourdes Church at
Bancker.1911
The new (and present) St. Mary Magdalen Church is completed.1913
The Sagrera family opens a hotel and spa at Cheniere au Tigre.1914
March--Rev. George Mello becomes pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Church.1915
Canon R. J. Bollard is sent to Abbeville as pastor. He will remain until 1930.1917
The first road is built to Forked Island.
Cow Island residents pass a tax to build the Ernest Broussard Agricultural School.
1925
The first class, five students, graduates from Indian Bayou High School.1926
Purchase of a generator brings electricity to the Sagrera Hotel and cottages at Cheniere au Tigre.1927
St. Francis Chapel is erected at Cheniere au Tigre.1928
A Catholic church is established at Erath.1930
Rev Edmund Duall becomes pastor of St. Mary Magdalen.1933
Immaculate Conception Church is built at Forked Island.1936
E. Broussard at Cow Island becomes an accredited high school.1952
Maltrait Memorial School in Kaplan and St. Peter's School in Gueydan are opened by the Grey
Nuns.1967
Mount Carmel School is split into Mount Carmel Elementary and Vermilion Catholic.
This article is
copyrighted © by the Lafayette
(LA) Daily Advertiser and is used with
permission. This
web site was originated through a grant awarded to
Carencro High School (Joel Hilbun/Bobbi Marino,
Grant Administrators) by the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education from the
Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund - 8(g).
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