Opelousas, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| City of Opelousas Ville des Opélousas (French) | |
 Old Federal Courthouse in Opelousas, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places | |
| Motto: "Omnia ad Dei Gloriam – All Things to the Glory of God." | |
 Location of Opelousas in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates:30°31′41″N92°05′04″W / 30.52806°N 92.08444°W /30.52806; -92.08444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Landry |
| Incorporated | 1821 (204 years ago) (1821) |
| Named after | Opelousas people |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Julius Alsandor (Democrat) |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.68 sq mi (25.06 km2) |
| • Land | 9.67 sq mi (25.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 15,786 |
| • Density | 1,632.13/sq mi (630.18/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70570 |
| Area code | 337 |
| FIPS code | 22-58045 |
| Website | http://www.cityofopelousas.com |
Opelousas (French:Les Opélousas; Spanish:Los Opeluzás) is a small city and theparish seat ofSt. Landry Parish,Louisiana,United States.[2]Interstate 49 andU.S. Route 190 were constructed with a junction here. According to the2020 census, Opelousas has a population of 15,786, a 6.53 percent decline since the 2010 census, which had recorded a population of 16,634. Opelousas is the principal city for the Opelousas-EuniceMicropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 80,808 in 2020. Opelousas is also the fourth largest city in theLafayette-AcadianaCombined Statistical Area, which has a population of 537,947.
Historically an area of settlement by French and SpanishCreoles,Creoles of color, andAcadians, Opelousas is the center ofzydeco music. It celebrates its heritage at the Creoles of Color Heritage Folklife Center, one of the destinations on the newLouisiana African-American Heritage Trail. It is also the location of theEvangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino.
The city calls itself "the spice capital of the world", with production and sale of seasonings such asTony Chachere's products,[3] Targil Seasonings,[4] Savoie's cajun meats and products,[5] and LouAna Cooking Oil.
During the tenure ofSheriffCat Doucet, from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1952 to 1968, the section of Opelousas along Highway 190 was a haven of gambling and prostitution, the profits from which he skimmed a take.[6]
Opelousas takes its name from the Native American tribeOpelousa who had occupied the area before European contact.
French traders, calledcoureurs de bois (forest trappers and hunters), arrived in the Opelousas area in the early 1740s to trade with the Opelousas Indians.[7] The French encouraged immigration to the Opelousas Post before they ceded Louisiana to Spain in 1762. GovernorJean-Jacques d’Abbadie opened the "Opelousas Country" to settlers in 1763. An official post was established in 1764; Frenchman Louis Gérard Pellerin was appointed as the first commandant on July 1, 1764.[8] By 1766,Saint Landry Catholic Church was built.[9] In 1769, about 100 families, mostly French, were living in the post.DonAlejandro O'Reilly, Spanish governor of Louisiana, issued a land ordinance to allow settlers in the frontier of the Opelousas Territory to acquire land grants. However, O’Reilly forbadeAcadians from settling in the Opelousas area until his successor,Luis de Unzaga, nullified that order and allowed Acadians to settle at the Opelousas. The first official land grant was made in 1782. Numerous settlers: French, Spanish,Creoles, and Acadians – mainly from the Attakapas Territory – came to the Opelousas Territory and acquired land grants.[citation needed] By the mid-1780s, land was granted at the site of contemporary Opelousas. (Some people confuse the name of this Indian tribe and territory, Opelousas, with that of theAppaloosa horse. But there is no connection; the name for the Appaloosa breed is derived fromPalouse, a river named by theNez Perce Northwestern Plains Indians.)
After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 to France who had regained it in 1800, settlers continued to migrate here fromSt. Martinville. LeBon, Prejean, Thibodaux, Esprit, Nezat, Hebert, Babineaux, Mouton, and Provost were some of the early Creole families. (This use ofCreole meant ethnic French and Spanish people who were born in Louisiana. LaterLouisiana Creole was a term applied to anyone with French, Spanish, and Canadian ancestry. Creoles of color were mostly assigned tomixed-race people, descended primarily from Native Americans, African-Americans, and ethnic French, with other heritage in more recent years.) Other early French Creole families were Roy, Barre, Guenard, Decuir, and Bail. In 1820, Alex Charles Barre, also a French Creole, foundedPort Barre. His ancestors came from the French West Indies, probably after the revolution in whichHaiti (St. Domingue) became independent.Jim Bowie and his family were said to have settled in the areacirca 1813.
In 1805, Opelousas became the seat of the newly formed St. Landry Parish – named after the church located there and in honor ofSaint Landry – the parish was also known as the Imperial Parish of Louisiana. The year 1806 marked the beginning of significant construction in Opelousas. The first courthouse was constructed in the middle of the town. Later in 1806, Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church was founded. It was the firstMethodist church in Louisiana. Five years later, the first St. Landry Parish Police Jury met in Opelousas, keeping minutes in the two official languages of English and French. The city was incorporated by legislative act on February 14, 1821.[citation needed]
European and American settlement was based on plantation agriculture, and both groups brought or purchased numerous enslaved Africans and African Americans to work as laborers in cotton cultivation. African Americans influenced all cultures as the people created a "creolized" cuisine and music. The long decline of cotton prices throughout the 19th century created economic problems, worsened by the lack of employment diversity.
In 1862, afterBaton Rouge fell to theUnion troops during theCivil War, Opelousas was designated the state capital for nine months. The governor's mansion in Opelousas, which was the oldest remaining governor's mansion in Louisiana, was the victim of arson on July 14, 2016, and the structure was reduced to a chimney and its foundation.[10] The one-story mansion was located on the corner of Liberty and Grolee Streets, just west of the heart of town. An observation tower was removed from the top of the residence in the early 1900s, but the remainder of the exterior was identical to its original construction in the 1850s. The entire roof section of heavy rafters was held in place by thousands of wooden pegs; not one nail could be found in the attic. Plans had been made to restore the building to some of its former splendor.[11] The capital was moved again in 1863, this time toShreveport, when Union troops occupied Opelousas. DuringReconstruction, the state government operated fromNew Orleans.
After the defeat of the South and emancipation of slaves, many whites had difficulty accepting the changed conditions, especially as economic problems and dependence on agriculture slowed the South's recovery. Social tensions were high during Reconstruction. In 1868, in what is known as theOpelousas massacre, whites killed 27 African Americans in a mass execution; they had been captured in a protest. Whites continued to attack blacks on sight for days. An estimated additional 23 to 200–300freedmen were killed during this period. This series of murders comprised one of the single worst instances of Reconstruction violence in south Louisiana.
Following this, Opelousas in 1872 enacted ordinances that greatly restricted the freedoms of black Americans. These codes required blacks to have a written pass from their employer to enter the town and to state the duration of their visit. Blacks were not allowed on the streets after a 10 pm curfew; they could neither own a house nor reside in the town, unless they were employed by a white person, and they were not allowed in the town after 3 pm on Sundays.[12][13] Like the Black Codes, such police regulations restricted the freedoms and personal autonomy of freedmen after the Civil War in the South.[12]
In 1880, the railroad reached Opelousas. In the late 19th century, New York City social services agencies arranged for resettlement of Catholic orphan children by sending them to western rural areas, including Opelousas, in Louisiana and other states. At least threeOrphan Trains reached this city before 1929. Opelousas is the heart of a traditional Catholic region of French, Spanish, Canadian, and French West Indian ancestry. Catholic families in Louisiana took in more than 2,000 mostly Catholic orphans to live in their rural farming communities.[14]
In the year 1920, segregation at St Landry Catholic Church led localBlack Catholics to establish their own parish,Holy Ghost. It has since grown to become the largest Black parish in the United States.
In May 1927, Opelousas accepted thousands of refugees following theGreat Mississippi Flood of 1927 in the Mississippi Delta. Heavy rains in northern and midwestern areas caused intense flooding in areas ofMississippi,Arkansas, and Louisiana downstream, especially after levées nearMoreauville,Cecilia, andMelville collapsed.[15]
More than 81% of St. Landry Parish suffered some flooding, with 77% of the inhabitants directly affected. People in more southern areas of Louisiana, especially those communities alongBayou Teche, were forced to flee their homes for areas that suffered less damage. By May 20, over 5,700 refugees were registered in Opelousas, which had a population of only 6,000 people. Many of the refugees later returned to their homes and began the rebuilding process.[15]
During the tenure of ParishSheriffCat Doucet from 1936 to 1940 and 1952 to 1968, the section of Opelousas along Highway 190 was a haven of gambling and prostitution.[6] Doucet told historianMichael Kurtz that, with the return ofEarl Long to the governorship in 1956, Doucet could bring back brothels and casinos and get a take of the proceeds.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 786 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,546 | 96.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,676 | 8.4% | |
| 1890 | 1,572 | −6.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,951 | 87.7% | |
| 1910 | 4,623 | 56.7% | |
| 1920 | 4,437 | −4.0% | |
| 1930 | 6,299 | 42.0% | |
| 1940 | 8,980 | 42.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,659 | 29.8% | |
| 1960 | 17,417 | 49.4% | |
| 1970 | 20,387 | 17.1% | |
| 1980 | 18,903 | −7.3% | |
| 1990 | 18,151 | −4.0% | |
| 2000 | 22,860 | 25.9% | |
| 2010 | 16,634 | −27.2% | |
| 2020 | 15,786 | −5.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,799 | 17.73% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 12,183 | 77.18% |
| Native American | 34 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 116 | 0.73% |
| Other/Mixed | 397 | 2.51% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 257 | 1.63% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 15,786 people, 6,248 households, and 3,527 families residing in the city.
The annualYambilee Festival in Opelousas began in 1946. The harvest festival took place on the last weekend in October. Activities included agricultural competitions, carnival rides, pageants, and parades with floats.John F. Kennedy once attended. The festival has since been cancelled.[18]
Since 1982, Opelousas has hosted the Original Southwest LouisianaZydeco Festival.[19] Usually held the Saturday before Labor Day at Zydeco Park inPlaisance, the festival features a day of performances by Zydeco musicians, with the goal of keeping the genre alive.[20]
Additional annual events include:
Opelousas is home to several public and private schools. Opelousas has many public high schools, which are Opelousas Senior High, Northwest High School, andMagnet Academy for Cultural Arts. Opelousas Junior High serves as the area middle school. The city has seven public elementary schools. It is also home to one of the campuses ofSouth Louisiana Community College.[22]
The private schools are religiously based, includingOpelousas Catholic School, Westminster Christian Academy,[23] Apostolic Christian Academy, New Hope Christian Academy, and Family Worship Christian Academy.
Opelousas is served byInterstate 49 andUS Route 190, as well as state highways including31,104,182,357,749, and3043.[24]
Freight rail service includes theUnion Pacific Railroad and the shortlineAcadiana Railway.[25]
Opelousas is home to theSt. Landry Parish Airport (KOPL), owned by the St. Landry Parish Government, which has a main paved runway 5,999’ by 100’.[26] Commercial air transportation is available atLafayette Regional Airport, about 26 miles to the south,[27] orBaton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, about 59 miles to the east.[28]
Opelousas is part of the Lafayette television and radio markets.
The city is home toKOCZ-LP, alow powercommunity radio station owned and operated by the Southern Development Foundation. The station was built by numerous volunteers from Opelousas and around the country at the thirdPrometheus Radio Project barnraising.[clarification needed]
KOCZ broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners now at 92.9. It was originally on 103.7, but had to move due to a full-power station being licensed to 103.7.[29] Opelousas is home to The Mix KOGM 107.1FM, which is owned by KSLO Broadcasting, Inc.
There are two TV stations based in Opelousas,KDCG-CD (Class A Digital) TV Channel 22 and K39JV, another low power on channel 39.
The primary industries in Opelousas are agriculture, oil, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail.
The horse racing track Evangeline Downs relocated to Opelousas from its former home inCarencro, Louisiana, in 2003. It employs over 600 workers.[30]
Opelousas is also home toTony Chachere, a Louisiana spice company with a worldwide reach. The company makes a variety of seasoning blends, sauces, marinades, and other products.[31]
In September 1999,Wal-Mart opened a large distribution center just north of the city. It is generating an $89 million impact per year to the area, employing over 600 full-time workers.[32]
Opelousas was home to theOpelousas Indians, aminor league baseball franchise that was based in Opelousas in 1907, 1932 and 1934–1941. The Indians were members of theGulf Coast League (1907) andEvangeline League (1934–1941). The team played at Elementary School Park. TheOpelousas Orphans played a portion of the 1932 season in theCotton States League. Opelousas was an affiliate of theCleveland Indians (1935–1937, 1939).[33]
MusicianBilly Cobham recorded a song called "Opelousas" on his 1978 albumSimplicity of Expression – Depth of Thought (Columbia Records JC 35457).
The 1980ssynthpop musicianThomas Dolby mentions Opelousas in the song "I Love You Goodbye" from his1992 albumAstronauts & Heretics. The narrator of the song describes being arrested by a sheriff who offers to let him go in exchange for a bribe, under the guise of a contribution to the town's charity ball.
Thefolk-rock singerLucinda Williams mentions Opelousas in the song "Concrete and Barbed Wire" from her critically acclaimed albumCar Wheels on a Gravel Road. Singer-songwriter and comedianHenry Phillips mentions Opelousas as one of the venues in his song "I'm In Minneapolis (You're In Hollywood)"'.[35]
Municipalities and communities ofSt. Landry Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
