Lafayette (Images of America: Louisiana) [Paperback]

Jean S. Kiesel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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 and

generosity 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.

About the Author

For more than 20 years, Jean S. Kiesel has been the Louisiana room librarian at the Edith Garland Dupré Library, located at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. A majority of the images in this book were selected from collections in the University Archives and Acadiana Manuscripts Collection of Dupré Library.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (September 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738552615
• ISBN-13: 978-0738552613
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #381,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent series in largely pictorial local history, December 14, 2008

By	Michael K. Smith (Gonzales, Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Lafayette (Images of America: Louisiana) (Paperback)

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.