General Information

  Local History:

Ville Platte was the first community on level land that stagecoach passengers met when travelling north toward Alexandria. Its name was derived because of this, and literally translates to mean "Flat Town." The first settler to the Ville Platte area is believed to be a Scotch-Irishman named O'Donegan who established a blacksmith shop on the old Indian Buffalo Trail.

However, Major Marcellin Garand was the founder of Ville Platte. He served in both the French Army and in Napoleon's Army as an adjutant general. Following his Napoleonic campaigns, he kept a tiny tavern on the site of Ville Platte's old post office. Travelers on the Rapides Trail often stopped to hear his stories about the "Little Corporal."

 Garand is credited with introducing "Le Tournoi," a revival of the ancient French jousting tournaments, to the area. The Tournoi was run as late as 1890 when it was abandoned for about half a century. Garand's grave may be seen at the Old Town Cemetery in Ville Platte.

Early French and Spanish settlers referred to the entire Evangeline Parish area as a "Vacherie," which translates to "a grazing land for cattle." This "vacherie" extended from the Sabine River and to the Texas-Louisiana state line. Huge roundups were held each year on this great open range. As settlers homesteaded the area, fences were built, small towns sprang up and the vast land known as the "vacherie" disappeared. Colonization was well underway by the 1700s.

The Old Spanish Trail from Louisiana to Texas wound its way through the "vacherie" and traces of the old trail may still be seen off the present-day Highway 167. Other sections of this early trail may be found in the Chicot State Park area.

Ville Platte was incorporated on March 16, 1858, and has continuously grown to its present population of over 10,000 inhabitants.

Originally, Ville Platte was located in St. Landry Parish. However, in 1911, the town's political interest led to the eventual dividing of St. Landry Parish into two parishes, making Ville Platte the parish seat of the new Evangeline Parish.

Festivals:

·         Cotton Festival

·         Le Tournoi de la Ville Platte

·         Smoked Meat Festival

·         Belaire Cove Crawfish Etouffee' Cookoff

·         Mardi Gras

·         Boggy Bayou Festival

·         Mamou Cajun Music Festival

Quick Facts:

·  Population: 35,434 (estimate from 2000 Census)

·  Geographic Location
          Southwestern Louisiana

·  Communities
          Ville Platte
          Mamou
          Basile
          Pine Prairie
          Turkey Creek
          Chataignier

·  Major Industries by Employment
          Medical Care
          Oil/Tool
          Manufacturing
          

·  Highways
          Interstate 49
          U.S. 167 and 190
          LA-10, LA-13, LA-29, LA-95, LA-104, LA-161, LA-376, and LA-3042

·  Deepwater Access
          Port of Lake Charles

·  Port Facility
          Greater Krotz Springs Port (Shallow Draft)

Overview:

Location	Evangeline Parish is located in Southwestern Louisiana, between St. Landry and Allen parishes, and flanked by Rapides and Acadia parishes. The parish seat is Ville Platte.
Topography	The land within Evangeline Parish is level, with an average elevation of 15 feet above sea level. There is one main river, the Sabine.
Parish History	In 1911, an act of the legislature created Evangeline Parish, by carving it from St. Landry Parish. It was named as a tribute to Evangeline, a young Acadian woman made famous by the celebrated poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Municipal Summaries	There are six incorporated municipalities in Evangeline Parish: Ville Platte - The parish seat, Ville Platte is home to approximately 9,037 people. The four primary businesses in the parish, Cabot Carbon Black, Cooper Oil Tool, Holloway Sportswear, and Union Tank Car, are located in Ville Platte. Mamou - Located in the Southern part of Evangeline Parish, on state highway 13, Mamou has 3,505 residents, whose main enterprise include farming. Basile - An estimated 1,870 people reside in Basile, a little town accessible by state highway 371, situated on the border between Evangeline and Acadia parishes. The main source of work for residents of Basile is from farming and oil & gas. Pine Prairie - 818 individuals live in Pine Prairie, a small town off state highway 13 in North central Evangeline Parish. Workers mainly are employed in the lumber industry. Turkey Creek - With 298 residents, Turkey Creek is the smallest town in the parish. It is located in the North, off of U.S. 167 and state highway 13. Its primary source of employment is the lumber industry. Chataignier - 401 individuals live in this town, which is located in the Southern-most part of the parish, and is accessible by state highway 95. There are several small crawfish processing plants which provide a livelihood for the community's citizens.

Economy:

Industrial Base A hard working labor force, an excellent transportation network, abundant raw materials and land for commercial and industrial development make Evangeline Parish an ideal prospect for business investment. The parish's economic base is composed of the health care industry, oil and tool production, and the manufacture and sales of apparel. Cooper Oil Tool Company and Ville Platte Medical Center provide the greatest employment opportunities for citizens of the area.

Major Industries ·  Medical Services ·  Oil/Tool Production ·  Food Production

Overview of Industries Medical Care - Ville Platte Medical Center employs over 250 people. Oil/Tool Production - The Cooper Oil Tool Company has 393 workers in its employ. Railroad Services - The Union Tank Car Company has 143 employees, working to manufacture and repair railroad equipment. Other - The Cabot Company produces Carbon Black, and has a work force of 120 parishioners.

Major Industries ·  Cooper Oil Tool ·  Ville Platte Medical Center ·  Union Tank Car ·  Cabot Corpora

Executive Summary:

Overview	Evangeline Parish is located in Southwestern Louisiana between St. Landry and Allen parishes, and flanked by Rapides and Acadia parishes. The parish seat is Ville Platte
Economy	A hard working labor force, and excellent transportation industrial development make Evangeline Parish an ideal prospect for business investment. The parish's economic base is comprised by health care services, oil and tool production, the manufacture and sales of apparel, among a variety of other businesses. Cooper Oil Tool Company and Ville Platte Medical Center provide the greatest employment opportunities for citizens of the area, with Holloway Sportswear, Inc., following
Market Access	Evangeline Parish has excellent and extensive market access. The parish is accessible by Interstate 49, U.S. 167 and 190, and by nine Louisiana state highways. The parish is served by the Lafayette Regional Airport, as well as by the Mamou Municipal Airport. Although there are no inland waterways in the parish, the Greater Krotz Springs Port and the Port of Lake Charles are both available to Evangeline Parish, and serve it's water transportation needs. Two railways run through Evangeline Parish: the Union Pacific and Acadian Railways lines.
Labor Market	Evangeline Parish has an estimated work force of 11,975 people, and, as one of Louisiana's parishes, ranks first in the nation for maintaining man-hours. Louisiana loses fewer man-hours than any other state. Louisiana is a right-to-work state, with some of the most highly productive workers in the country. A 1990 study has shown that locally, the manufacturing output per dollar input greatly exceeds the national average.
Education	Evangeline Parish provides its residents with an excellent public school system, as well as optional private school education. There is one vocational-technical school within commuting distance, and four universities and colleges offer higher education opportunities to parish residents.
Quality of Life	Evangeline Parish enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year, enhancing the allure of the area's many recreational and cultural activities. There is one state park in the parish, and a number of parish parks open to the public. Outdoor recreation and sports are available to all; the region's lakes, rivers and wilderness areas offer year-round activities, and there are many recreational facilities, country clubs, and golf courses available throughout the parish. Evangeline also hosts numerous festivals during the year. One public library serves parishioners, and has a collection of 65,181 texts.
Infrastructure	Electric power is provided to the parish by Central Louisiana Electric Company, which also provides natural gas to part of the parish. Evangeline Gas Co. is the second company serving the region. The entire parish uses one waste management company. AT&T, South Central Bell, Century Tel, LDDS, LDS, MCI, and U.S. Sprint serve customers in Evangeline Parish.
Cost/Government	Louisiana has a relatively light tax burden, as does Evangeline Parish. There is a 2% sales tax in force for the parish. State corporate income tax ranges from 4% to 8%. Evangeline's individual communities are governed by a combination of mayor and council, as well as by police juries.