Lafayette (Images of America: Louisiana) Review

Lafayette (Images of America: Louisiana)
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I've reviewed a number of volumes in this excellent local history series and the pattern is now well established: A brief overall history of a town or locality followed by 100 pages or so of photographs from its origins to the present day, each accompanied by a reasonably detailed caption. In the case of Lafayette, the photos include Père Mégret and Gen. Mouton, St. John's Church and Hebrew Rest Cemetery, assorted early business establishments and schools and private homes, the old Pin Hook Bridge over the Vermillion River and the Evangeline League White Sox of 1924. Especially interesting is an aerial view of downtown Lafayette c.1925 and views of Cherry Street, showing Lafayette's general prosperity in the first half of the 20th century. There are also shots of the aftermath of the flood of 1940, when some streets were six feet deep in river water. A number of readers have mentioned giving the books in this series as birthday or Christmas gifts, especially to older relatives now living away from their original homes.

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Lafayette was founded as Vermilionville in 1822 by Jean Mouton, a prosperous landowner of Acadian descent whose donations of land for a Catholic church and the parish courthouse ensured the town's future. The arrival of the railroad in 1880, the founding of Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in 1900, and the growth of the oil industry in the 20th century further contributed to the city's prosperity. Lafayette experienced its share of hard times brought on by the Civil War, regional flooding, hurricanes, and economic depressions, but survived on the strength andgenerosity of its close-knit citizens. Lafayette has long been known as the Hub City of Acadiana, the economic and cultural center of southwest Louisiana. Today it is widely known for its food, music, and festivals that celebrate not only its Cajun and Creole heritage, but also its many other European, Middle Eastern, and African cultural roots.

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