SUNSET

There are several stories of how the town of Sunset, surrounded by fertile fields and racehorse farms, got its name.

According to one story, the town was going to be called Sibilleville, after a prominent family in the area, and whose descendants still live there today. In another version, the workers building the railroad named the new train stops as they reached them. Apparently, they named the town Sunset because they reached it at the end of the day.

There is also the story that a conductor on the Sunset Limited, which ran through the town, suggested naming the town for his train. Then, there is the one about the meeting held in Grand Coteau just before the Civil war. Afraid the train would bring yellow fever into the community, the residents wanted the train to go somewhere else. It is said that someone who argued for the railroad in Grand Coteau said, "If the railroad does not go through Grand Coteau, our community's sun has set." The railroad through Sunset was finally completed in the 1880s, and businesses began to spring up around the depot.

The Town Hall of Sunset is a good place to begin your visit. Built in 1906, the building originally housed the Bank of Sunset, which was established to thwart local silver thieves. At the time, bands of men hiding in neighboring woods were robbing the wagons from Opelousas that were carrying silver payments for the cotton planters in Sunset. Built in 1880, the home of the first mayor of Sunset, Victor Hugo Sibille, has been restored and is open for tours. The home of Romain Castille, another early resident and prominent businessman in Sunset, is also open to visitors. Tour the grounds and visit the renovated train mail car, caboose, and small depot that now serves as a bed-and-breakfast.

A nice resting stop is the lovely “Garden Park” located across from the South St. Landry Public Library. This location comes alive the first Saturday in May for the Celebration of Herbs & Gardens sponsored by the Sunset Garden Club.