| Communities | Economy | History / Markers | Local Government |
| Location / Geography | Media | Parks and Recreation | Schools and Libraries |
| Parish Map | Top of page | ||
There is 1 incorporated community in Assumption parish. |
|
Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Pierre Part and Belle River in the western part of the parish and several communities along Bayou Lafourche: Paincourtville-According to tradition the village received its name from an early traveler, who in passing through was unable to obtain a single loaf of bread and therefore facetiously called the place short-of-bread-town. Labadieville-Thought to have been the site of the chief village of the Washi Indians, one of four tribes mentioned by Bienville when he explored the area in 1699. |
|
Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Albemarle, Bayou Corn, Belle Alliance, Belle River, Belle Rose, Belle Terre, Bertrandville, Brule, Brule St. Martin, Brule St. Vincent, Cancienne, Elm Field, Elmhall, Freetown, Glenwood, Grand Bayou, Halfway, Kesslar, Klotzville, Labadieville, Little Texas, Leche, Lula, Monty, Mussons, Oakley, Ratliffe, Paincourtville, Percle, Pierre Part, Plattenville, Star, Supreme, West Field and Woodlawn. |
|
Big Goddel Bayou Grassy Lake Lake Palourde Lake Verret Mississippi River |
Historical Markers |
Christ Episcopal Church Madewood Plantation House Napoleonville Valenzuela dans la Fourche White Home |
History | |
| 1805 |
By the time English speaking land-seekers came in the early 1800s, Napoleonville was a thriving marketplace for many nationalities. When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties the present-day Assumption Parish is part of Lafourche County Two years later the divisions had proved too large , Lafourche (French for "the fork") was divided and one portion was established as the civil parish of Assumption. |
| 1750 |
Prior to this year the French, proceeding south along Bayou Lafourche from where that stream forks with the Mississippi River, settled on both sides of what then was called "the river of the Chitimacha" after a local Native American tribe. |
| 1793 |
The area first fell under the sphere of influence of an ecclesiastical parish named after a small church built near Plattenville. |
| 1760s-1780s |
Spanish settlers and Acadians arrived in the 1760s and Canary Islanders or Islenos were sent there by Spanish governor Galvez in the 1780s. Several parties of Acadians arrived in Assumption, welcomed by the Spanish governor Galvez here with open arms. |
| 1846 |
Construction begins on Madewood Plantation house in Napoleonville of Assumption Parish. Built over eight years of timber hewn on the plantation itself and of sixty thousand bricks baked by the plantation’s slaves. This Greek Revival mansion is the first major building designed by noted architect Henry Howard for Col. Thomas Pugh, a North Carolinian. Its brick walls, exterior two feet thick, and interior a foot and a half, rest on brick foundations eight feet under ground, and support fourteen-inch square beams in the attic. Steamboats carried trade to Madewood and other plantations along Bayou Lafourche. It was purchased in 1964 and restored by Mr. Harold K. Marshall. It is open to the public and is a center for the arts in the South Louisiana area |
| 1853 |
Christ Episcopal Church congregation in Assumption Parish is organized and the church is constructed on the site of Elm Hall Plantation, donated by Dr. E. E. Kittredge. Frank Willis, Architect. It is consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk in 1854. |
|
Antebellum plantation owners along Bayou Lafourche favored private schooling for their children, and it was not until the late 19th century that public education in Assumption Parish was successfully developed. Today some 5,000 students attend public schools in the parish. The system includes four primary schools, three middle schools, one junior high and one senior high school. In addition to the public schools, two Catholic schools, each more than 100 years old, provide instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade. St. Elizabeth Interparochial School in Paincourtville, founded in 1876, has 225 students and St. Philomenia School in Labadieville, founded in 1872, has 121 students. Parish and state funded programs for the gifted, speech and hearing impaired, learning disabled and physically handicapped are also available. All public and private schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary schools and the Louisiana Independent School Association. ACT average scores are 18.2 for the public high school. This compares most favorably with the regional and national averages of 17. Currently the percentage of graduating seniors attending college are 40% for the public schools. Annual cost in public funds to provide schooling is $3,892 per student, with a pupil-to teacher ratio of 20.7:1. A parish vocational/technical school associated with the high school is located near Plattenville and provides in-depth training in skills ranging from computer programming to welding. The successful welding program is associated with JTPA and McDermott, Inc. TEACHERS ENROLLMENT Public Schools 280 4,852 Private Schools 24 345 |
|
| To assure that new and expanding businesses have a continuing pool of workers with the level of education and expertise necessary for their operations, the area’s colleges and universities, vocational/technical schools and high schools graduate trained and entry-level persons year round. Schools at all levels are augmenting their general education missions with programs explicitly connected with employment possibilities for their students. This is seen in secondary schools in career education curricula and programs such as adopt-a-school through which business contributes resources, curriculum guidance and, in some cases, instruction, counseling and the promise of jobs for graduates. Community colleges are increasing their industry-specific training and colleges and universities are developing partnerships with industry that involve human as well as technological development. | |
Education |
Within an hour and a half drive of Napoleonville are eleven major colleges or universities. Five of these offer doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, engineering, medical and legal fields. These universities are nationally and internationally recognized as sponsoring extensive research activities. Among these institutions are those receiving national recognition for their schools of law, medicine and engineering as well as fine arts curriculum. Nicholls State University 20 miles Louisiana State University -Baton Rouge (LSU) 50 miles Tulane University 70 miles Southern University - Baton Rouge 55 miles Southern Univ. @ New Orleans (SUNO) 70 miles University of New Orleans (UNO) 70 miles Louisiana State University -Medical Center 70 miles Tulane University Medical Center 70 miles Loyola University - New Orleans 70 miles Xavier University 70 miles Dillard University 70 miles |
Director - Mary Judice 293 Napoleon Ave. Napoleonville, LA 70390 Email - Branches - Assumption Parish enjoys an excellent state-supported public library system. The library headquarters is located in Napoleonville, with a full-time librarian, 7 full-time and 6 part-time assistants. Volumes in the library total in excess of 40,000, with approximately 150 new additions per month. The facilities offer reading and reference materials for all ages as well as many additional services and activities. Branch offices containing over 4,000 volumes are located in Pierre Part and Labadieville. American Library Directory 1999-2000, R. R. Bowker |
