Did You Know

• Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino, the only facility of its kind in the U.S. to be built from the ground up, opened in Opelousas, Louisiana in Dec. 2003. Horse racing, both Quarter horse and thoroughbred began in 2005.

• The staircase in Chretien Point Plantation, located just outside of Sunset, Louisiana was replicated in the movie Gone With The Wind.
  
• The Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana is the site of the only miracle performed in the United States and recognized by the Catholic Church. A shrine commemorating this historic event may be toured by appointment

• Cajun Prairie once covered 2.5 million acres in southwest Louisiana but was virtually destroyed by agricultural practices and is now reduced to less than 100 acres. Today, 10 acres of one of the most impressive prairie restoration sites in the United States can be found in Eunice, Louisiana

• Opelousas, Louisiana was designated in May of 2000 as the "Birthplace of Zydeco Music"

• Jim Bowie, most famous for his role in the Battle at the Alamo, spent his childhood in St. Landry Parish. He was also noted for designing the Bowie knife.

• The home of Charles Homére Mouton on Liberty Street in Opelousas, Louisiana was used as the governor's home during the Civil War.

• Clifton Chenier, the undisputed "King of Zydeco", was born and reared near Opelousas, Louisiana. In 1983 he was the first Creole to be presented a Grammy award on national television. Blending the French and Cajun two steps and waltzes of southwest Louisiana with New Orleans R&B, Texas blues and big band jazz, Chenier created the modern dance-inspiring sounds of Zydeco. A flamboyant personality, remembered for his gold tooth and the cape and crown that he wore during concerts, Chenier set the standard for all the zydeco players who have followed in his footsteps.

• Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana boasts the largest Catholic congregation of African Americans in the United States. Sunday masses feature the renowned Holy Ghost Gospel Choir.

• What began from a gentleman's love of cooking, Tony Chachere?s Creole Seasoning "in the little green can", has become the No. 1 Cajun/Creole seasoning in the country and is manufactured in Opelousas, Louisiana

• Grammy nominee Ann Savoy and son, Joel Savoy, from Eunice, Louisiana appeared in the film Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and performed three songs for the Warner Brother soundtrack. Husband and father, Marc Savoy, is a master accordion maker and musician, as well.

• Opelousas became the state capital during the Civil War in 1862, until the advancing Union Forces caused the capital to be changed to Shreveport. During that time the Legislative sessions were held in the Old LaCombe Hotel that was located on Court Street.

• The Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, founded in 1821, is the oldest school in the Acadiana region and the second oldest continuously operating school in the United States west of the Mississippi River.

• The Liberty Theatre in Eunice, Louisiana, is the home of the internationally acclaimed Rendez-Vous des Cajuns Live Radio & TV Show. This live radio show, presented in Cajun French, is held weekly and sponsored by the City of Eunice and the Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve. The Theatre opened in 1924 as a popular venue for vaudeville shows.

• Paul Eugene Prudhomme, better known as Chef Paul Prudhomme, is an Opelousas, LA native. He has traveled around the world as an ambassador for Cajun food and for the entire state of Louisiana. His Cajun products and cookbooks are very popular throughout the U.S.

• Opelousas is designated as the Yam Capitol of the World and has hosted the Louisiana Yambilee Festival each October since 1945. Yam is a type of sweet potato originating in Senegal. Sweet potatoes were once a thriving crop in St. Landry Parish.

• In 1803, following the Louisiana Purchase, the County of Opelousas was created, with Opelousas becoming the seat of government in 1805. Opelousas County was renamed St. Landry Parish, after the Catholic Church located here, on March 31, 1807.

• Opelousas takes its name from the Opelousa Indians who first settled in this area. The name, 'Opelousas' has been given many meanings, but the one most commonly accepted is 'Blackleg', possibly because the tribe painted their legs a dark color.

• When translated from French, Grand Coteau means "great ridge" referring to the geographical site upon which it sits.

• The Cajun sounds are a blend of German, Spanish, Scottish, Irish, Anglo-American, Afro-Caribbean and American Indian influences with a base of western French and French Acadian folk tradition. They are most noted for their up-beat tempos, cheerful lyrics and peculiar dance rhythms. The traditional Cajun instruments were the fiddle and triangle (tit fer), but the Acadians soon learned to make their own instruments from household items like spoons, washboards and clacking sticks for percussion.

• The word 'Zydeco' popularized by Clifton Chenier, evolved from the French phrase les haricots (pronounced lay-ZAH-ree-coe) sont pas salés. When literally translated it means "the snapbeans are not salty," a metaphor for times being so tough that people could not afford salt meat to season their food. Zydeco now refers to a specific genre of music.

• Krotz Springs, LA, is a gateway to the Atchafalaya River Basin. The Basin comprises an area of 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes and water prairies. Cutting a 15-mile-wide path across South Louisiana, it is the largest and last great fresh water river-basin in North America.

• Opelousas, LA, was a stop for at least three of the Orphan Trains traveling from New York in an effort to fight overcrowding during 1854-1929. Over 2,000 orphans came to Louisiana during that time period to live in rural farming communities. A second Orphan Train Museum is currently being constructed in an old train depot located in Le Vieux Village in Opelousas. The first museum dedicated to the Orphan Train riders is located in Kansas.

• Rodney "Rod" Milburn was born & raised in Opelousas, LA. He was a talented track star setting many records in the 120 yard high hurdles during his high school years. He went on to set a world record of 13.1 seconds in 1971 in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1972, he represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, where he finished first in the 110 meter high hurdles, with an Olympic record clocking of 13.24 seconds and claimed the gold medal for his country and community of Opelousas.

• Rod Bernard was a famous singer/musician born in Opelousas. He distinguished himself among South Louisiana musicians during the 1950's when his records were very popular in Louisiana and the nation. In 1959, he had a major national hit with a song called "This Should Go On Forever" recorded on the Jin label. He was invited by Dick Clark to perform on the national TV show, American Bandstand that same year.

• St. Landry Parish received its name from St. Landry (or St. Landericus), Bishop of Paris in 650 AD. He was a very earnest and devout man. He was especially known in history as a benefactor, who gave of his income and even sold precious objects from his cathedral for the relief of the sick and poor people. He founded Paris' first real hospital, L'Hotel-Dieu, to help the poor during an outbreak of plague that was aggravated by famine.