Recent Stories
Give Me Liberty – A brief history of the historic Liberty Theatre in downtown Eunice
The Liberty Theatre in Eunice, Louisiana, has a rich history spanning from its founding in 1920 to its closure in 1982 and subsequent revival in 1987. J. Claude Keller and A. F. McGee partnered to establish the theatre, aiming to create a premier…
The Show Must Go On: The Story of the Grand Opera House of the South
In the year 1901, David E. Lyons built a theatre in downtown Crowley. It is estimated that the entire 33,000 square foot building priced out at approximately 18,000 dollars. The original name for this theater is debated, but the terms, “the opera…
Setting Sights on the Rice
On Friday, January 31st, 1941, a new center of entertainment and community held its formal debut. Throughout the decades since its grand opening, the Rice Theater has hosted a variety of events from film screenings to Christmas celebrations,…
Slim's Y-Ki-Ki: Zydeco's Highs and Lows in Opelousas
In 2016, after an alleged 69 years of business, a dancehall once deemed the zydeco hotspot of the world, closed. Following a change in patrons’ behavior and attendance, St. Landry Parish’s weakening grasp on zydeco, and sharp increases in band…
Grit and Tin: Cajun Sharecroppers and the Prairie Hayes Cotton Gin – Supplying rural farmers with the means to gin their cotton from the 1930s until the 1970s.
Sometime in the early 1880s, the first cotton gin in Church Point was built by Valentin Breaux and in 1890, his competitor Homer Barrouse opened another. The ginning business was dominated by Joseph Ernest Daigle, who opened multiple gins…
Against The Grain: The Endurance Of The Conrad Rice Mill – The 112-year-old Conrad Rice Mill is the oldest operating rice mill in America.
Philip Amalus Conrad, a true entrepreneur, founded the Conrad Rice Mill and Planting Company in 1912. Following in his father's footsteps as a rice planter, Philip saw an opportunity for growth. Instead of shipping his rice to New Orleans, a…
Featured Stories
KEUN: Eunice, the Prairie Cajun Capital – A Place for Cajun Music
The founding of radio station KEUN in Eunice occurred as Cajun and zydeco music were gaining prominence in the mid to late twentieth century. However, both genres struggled to get airtime anywhere because Cajun music was long considered a “novelty”…
Rip Van Winkle Gardens
Joseph Jefferson, a famed actor for his role in Rip Van Winkle, owned the Rip Van Winkle Gardens property. It was sold to Dr. Don Ray who renovated the gardens to its original beauty. He then sold it to Mike Richard, who is the current owner. The…
Who Dare the Hoodoo Lady – Julia Brown
In Acadiana’s St. John parish, Julia Brown was a Hoodoo priestesses lived in a very small town called Frenier surrounded by Manchac Swamp. “In the town Julia was known for her charms and her curses, as well as for singing eerie songs with her guitar…
Take a Tour
Priests and Pirogues: A History of the Catholic Church in Acadiana
15 Locations ~ Curated by Sophia Verret, Nick DeLucia, Briley HigginbothamBoudin, Boudin, Boudin: Revealing the History of Louisiana's Premiere "Sausage"
1 Locations ~ Curated by Robert CarrikerAcadiana Historical
A project by Acadiana HistoricalThis site is powered by Omeka + Curatescape, a humanities-centered web and mobile framework available for both Android and iOS devices. Details coming soon.
Read more About Us