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It has been
estimated that Opelousas was settled
approximately 12,000 years ago. As a child in
this portion of the state, I remember walking
along hills looking for arrow heads after rains.
I didn't realize then that those
"hills" were burial mounds that Native
Americans built many centuries ago.
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The Attakapa tribe lived here for hundreds of
years before the first European explorers arrived.
The name Opelousas is most commonly interpreted
as meaning Blackleg because the Native Americans
painted their legs black in contrast to their
light colored bodies.
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The French arrived in the
late 17th century with explorers, trappers, and
hunters to settle the area. A trading post was
established and Opelousas was the stop over for
travelers between New Orleans and Natchitoches.
Opelousas was officially established then, 1720,
so it is the third oldest city in the state. In
1763, Louis Pellerin was given a land grant to
lay out the town.
The Spanish soon took over Louisiana and
Opelousas became a military post. Because both
the French and the Spanish kept very careful
records through the church, we have a wealth of
information about the people who lived here at
that time. French rule was soon restored and, not
long after, the Louisiana Purchase was made.
Opelousas was named the seat of Imperial St.
Landry Parish. Louisiana still uses the word
"parish" rather than "county"
due to the influence of Catholicism here.
Opelousas was officially incorporated in 1821.
People who live here today reflect the cultural
diversity of the time then. Spanish, African,
Native American, Italian, English, French,
Germans, and many others live here. The biggest
influence, of course, is from a French group who
were exiled from Nova Scotia in the mid 1700's
known as Acadians. Opelousas still celebrates the
French traditions of fais-do-do, boucherie, the
coup de main, and charvari.
Opelousas is well known for its foods too.
Traditional French cooking was influenced by the
Spanish and even the Native Americans. File' and
tasso were both native to the region long before
Europeans arrived. In Opelousas, one can eat
gumbo, etouffee, sauce piquante, sausage, boudin,
tasso, andouille, hogshead cheese, and cracklins.
Of course, there are also many many dishes that
use crawfish. Many chefs have come from Opelousas
including Didee Lastrapes, Toby Veltin, Tony
Chachere, and Paul Prudhomme.
Historically, Opelousas became the capital of
Louisiana for a short time during the Union
occupation of Baton Rouge. The home where the
Lieutenant Governor resided is still called the
"Governor's Mansion" to this day. Jim
Bowie, hero of the Battle of the Alamo, also
resided some years in Opelousas. So did General
Garriques de Flaugeac, a soldier under Napoleon
who was a hero of the Battle of New Orleans.
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