Welcome to Loreauville

Welcome to Loreauville. . , Like many communities along the Teche, early life in the village of Loreauville revolved around the church. Ozaire Joseph Loreau donated a piece of property in 1871 with the stipulation that a church be constructed in what was then called Fausse Pointe. Loreauville became a church parish in 1873, and Fr. Charles Beaubrien from Canada was named the first pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. A new plan for the church was drafted in the 1960s with A. Hays Town as the architect. The plan wasn't completed at the time due to lack of funds but over 50 years later, Loreauville finished its church renovation using Town's original vision. A second church on Daigre Street is also integral to the history of Loreauville. Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church was bought and moved from Centerville by Rev. Fr. J.M. Ramel M.S. and opened as a church for the Black community in 1948., New Acadia. , Who knows what could be hiding beneath the bayou banks? A search for the original Acadian settlers along the Teche Ridge has been ongoing since 2013. Archaeologists from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette believe the Acadians settled on high ground along Bayou Teche south in a peninsula formed by the bayou and known at the time as la fausse pointe, near Loreauville. Led by rebel Joseph Beausoleil Broussard, these more than 200 refugees arrived in the spring of 1765 following their expulsion from Nova Scotia. They called their new home "New Acadia." The New Acadia Project has uncovered numerous archaeological home sites and graves with artifacts dating from the 18th century. The village has plans to turn the old jailhouse and fire station next to the Bayou Teche Bridge into a park and museum dedicated to New Acadia. , Legend of Vida Sugar Mill. , Known locally as the "Big Bang," an explosion at Vida Sugar Mill in 1923 was possibly the worst industrial accident in Iberia Parish. The mill was owned by Loreauville Sugar Co., and the explosion was caused by five boilers. Eleven people died and 16 were injured, with the accident costing the company what would amount to more than $1 million today. The mill was reconstructed in 1924 and sold to Vida Sugars Inc. in 1931. It closed in 1972, but the Vida Shaw Bridge on Vida Shaw Road still stands today., Shipbuilding. , Loreauville is known for its history of shipbuilding, and Roy Breaux Sr. was one of the first people to begin building boats commercially. He took over his father's blacksmith shop in 1946 to found Breaux's Bay Craft Inc. He produced mostly tugboats and small crewboats used by the oil industry at first, but Breaux went on to build the world's first all-welded aluminum crewboat in 1957. Today, Breaux's Bay Craft is run by Breaux's children, Royce and Roy Jr. Other local shipbuilding companies include Breaux Brothers Enterprises, LLC., Gator-Tail and Pro-Drive. Look downstream from this panel's location and you'll easily spot Breaux's Bay Craft., Loreauville's Tin Man. , From the 1940s through the mid-1980s, Loreauville sported a Tin Man-style water tower next to the fire station on Bridge Street. The tower was located between the fire station and the bridge on the bayou and held approximately 50,000 gallons of water. Tin Man water towers were popular in small towns at the time, and their architectural style and shape were reminiscent of the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz." Loreauville's was torn down when a new, larger water tower was built at the north end of the village., King of Zydeco. , As home to the Clifton Chenier Club, Loreauville lays claim to the "King of Zydeco." Chenier was born in 1925 in Leonville and was the first Creole to be presented a Grammy award on national television. His first national hit song was "Ay-Tete Fi" (Hey, Little Girl), and he later formed the Red Hot Louisiana Band. He founded the Loreauville club, which is now run by his nephew, who accepted the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for him posthumously in 2014. Chenier died in 1987 and is buried in All Saints Cemetery, which is affiliated with St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Clifton Chenier | Craig Street, John Edwards Memorial Foundation Records Collection Find a complete Bayou Teche music playlist at techeproject.org!, Poor Man's Cake. , 4 eggs , 2 heaping cups cake flour , 1 lb. Dixie Crystal light brown sugar , 2 heaping tsp. baking powder , 2 cups pecans, chopped , cooking spray and butter , Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs with mixer on high for about 5 minutes until eggs are fluffy. Add sugar and mix well. Melt sugar on low fire until all crystals are dissolved. Let cool. Add 2 heaping tsp. baking powder and 2 heaping cups of flour. Mix well. Add pecans and mix with a spoon. Spray 9 1/2 x 13 pan with cooking spray and grease with butter. Pour batter into greased pan and spread evenly. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. , From Druscilla Rodriguez of Josephine Plantation, Réveille. , Réveille, réveille , Hommes acadiens , Pour sauver le village , J'ai entendu parler , De monter avec Beausoleil , Pour prendre le fusil , Battre les sacrés maudits , J'ai entendu parler , D'aller dans la Louisiane , Pour trouver de la bonne paix , Là-bas dans la Louisiane, Musician Zachary Richard's 1973 song "Réveille," which has become a sort of Cajun anthem, tells Acadians to wake up to save their village and mentions going with Beausoleil to find some peace in Louisiana.