St. Martin Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the

2010 U.S. census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, the population was 52,160. At the 2020 census, 51,767 people lived in the parish. St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan area in the region of Acadiana, along the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...

History

In 1811, parts of Attakapas Parish were taken out to create St. Martin and St. Mary parishes. In 1824, St. Martin Parish was divided, resulting in the creation also of

Lafayette Parish Lafayette Parish (french: Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat is ...

. In 1844, St. Martin Parish was again divided, yielding

Vermilion Parish Vermilion Parish (french: Paroisse de Vermillion) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, created in 1844. The parish seat is Abbeville. Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, and located in southern ...

. In 1868, Iberia Parish was formed from parts of St. Martin Parish and St. Mary Parish. St. Martin Parish was divided into two, as part of Iberia Parish runs between the two non-contiguous parts of St. Martin Parish. St. Martin Parish was largely colonized in the 1700s by people from France and

Acadia Acadia (french: link=no, Acadie) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17t ...

, resulting in a large concentration of French-speaking population today. The

Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

brought the tale of Evangeline, a young woman said to have been separated from her mortally wounded betrothed during their

expulsion Expulsion or expelled may refer to: General * Deportation * Ejection (sports) * Eviction * Exile * Expeller pressing * Expulsion (education) * Expulsion from the United States Congress * Extradition * Forced migration * Ostracism * Persona non ...

by the British from their territory in eastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. According to the tale, Evangeline later met her betrothed again in St. Martin Parish, but he had already committed to a new love. Evangeline never recovered from the shock of both finding and losing him again. Poet

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely tran ...

's work, '' Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'', was based on this story. Evangeline was and remains an icon of Acadian and American culture. The historical Evangeline, who is believed by some to have been an orphan girl named Emmeline Labiche, was purportedly buried on the grounds of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville. St. Martin was a very prosperous parish, growing rapidly in the early 1800s. Most of the revenue at that time was being made by raising cattle. Other profitable crops were cotton, sugar, corn, rice and tobacco. These were sold to the New Orleans market. Wealthy planters used enslaved African Americans as labor on their plantations, and by 1860, there were over 7,000 slaves in the parish; there were also a large number of Anglo-American slaves brought to the parish. A

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

epidemic in 1855, followed by a deadly fire and a destructive hurricane, ended an era of unbridled prosperity for elite whites. These events, combined with the effects of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

took a heavy toll on the parish.

Geography

The parish of St. Martin is split into two non-contiguous parts because of a surveying error dating to 1868, when Iberia Parish was created by the

Louisiana Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (french: Législature d'État de Louisiane) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representa ...

. Iberia Parish divides St. Martin Parish into two separate areas, Upper and Lower St. Martin. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (9.7%) is water. St. Martin Parish is in the

Atchafalaya Basin The Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp (; Louisiana French: ''L'Atchafalaya'', ), is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the At ...

, with

Bayou Teche Bayou Teche ( Louisiana French: ''Bayou Têche'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 20, 2011 waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana in ...

running through it. The bayou was used to ship products to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. St. Martin Parish has a wealth of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

and

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

trees.

Adjacent parishes

; Upper St. Martin *

(west) *

St. Landry Parish St. Landry Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Landry) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 83,384. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807. St. Landry Parish co ...

(north) *

Pointe Coupee Parish Pointe Coupee Parish ( or ; french: Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,802; in 2020, its population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads. Pointe ...

(northeast) * Iberville Parish (east) * Iberia Parish (south) ; Lower St. Martin * Iberia Parish (north) *

Assumption Parish Assumption Parish (french: Paroisse de l'Assomption, es, Parroquia de la Asunción) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,421. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was ...

(southeast) * St. Mary Parish (south)

Protected areas

The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.

National protected area

* Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State protected areas

Part of the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within St. Martin Parish as well as in St. Mary and Iberia parishes.

Communities

Cities

* Breaux Bridge (largest municipality) * Broussard (partial) * St. Martinville (parish seat)

Towns

Arnaudville Arnaudville is a town in St. Landry and St. Martin parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The St. Martin Parish portion of Arnaudville is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, while the St. Landry Parish portion is part of the ...

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * H ...

Village

* Parks

Census-designated places

* Cade * Catahoula *

Cecilia Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...

Unincorporated communities

* Butte La Rose * Coteau Holmes * Gecko * Nina Station *

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

Demographics

At the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, there were 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 66 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The 2019 American Community Survey determined 53,732 people lived in St. Martin Parish. The median age of its population was 37.7, and 6.9% of its population were under 5 years of age; of the population aged 18 and older, they made up 75.7% of the population, and people aged 65 and older were 14.7% of the total population. By the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 51,767 people, 19,749 households, and 13,960 families residing in the parish. In 2000 the racial makeup of the parish was 65.95%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 31.98% Black or African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.20% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 U.S. census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

at home, 27.44% reported speaking French (

Colonial French Louisiana French ( frc, français de la Louisiane; lou, françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisia ...

also known as Plantation Society French) or

Cajun French Louisiana French ( frc, français de la Louisiane; lou, françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louis ...

at home, while 1.52% speak

Louisiana Creole French Louisiana Creole ( lou, Kréyòl Lalwizyàn, links=no) is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the state of Louisiana. It is spoken today by people who may racially identify as White, Black, mixed, and N ...

. St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Martin was 66.8% non-Hispanic white, 29.1% Black and African American, 0.6%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United States are ...

, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% some other race, 2.1% multiracial, and 3.0%

Hispanic and Latino American Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify a ...

of any race. An estimated 1.0% of the parish were foreign-born from 2014 to 2019. At the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites declined to 63.59% of the population; Black or African Americans were 29.07% of the population, and Hispanic and Latino Americans made up 3.24% of the population. In 2000 there were 17,164 households, out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22. The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over. There were 19,749 households at the 2019 U.S. census estimates, and 4,800 businesses operating in the parish. The parish had an employment rate of 53.8%, and its population lived in 23,384 housing units. There was a median gross rent of $658 and the median household income was $48,656. Approximately 18.9% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line, and males earned $51,609 versus $32,748 for females from 2015 to 2019.

Education

Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the

St. Martin Parish School Board The St. Martin Parish School Board (SMPSB) is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the city of St. Martinville. Current Superintendent of Schools Fre ...

South Louisiana Community College South Louisiana Community College (SLCC) (French: Collège communautaire de la Louisiane du Sud) is a public community college in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was established in 1997 to provide academic and vocational training. Its service area inc ...

's service area includes the northern part and Fletcher Technical Community College's service area includes the southern part.

Politics

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 10 * US 90

U.S. Highway 90 * Louisiana 31

Louisiana Highway 31 Louisiana Highway 31 (LA 31) is a north–south state highway in Louisiana that serves Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Landry parishes, extending from LA 182 in New Iberia, and ending at the same highway in Opelousas. Route description From ...

Louisiana Highway 94 * Louisiana 96

Louisiana Highway 96 * Louisiana 70

Louisiana Highway 70 Louisiana Highway 70 (LA 70) is a state highway in Louisiana that serves St. Mary, St. Martin, Assumption, and Ascension parishes. It is primarily a two-lane highway that spans . Route description LA 70 begins at an exit from U.S. Highway 90 in ...

Louisiana Highway 328 * Louisiana 347

Louisiana Highway 347 * Louisiana 353

Louisiana Highway 353

Notable people

Ali Landry Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21, 1973) is an American actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1996. She played Rita Lefleur on the UPN sitcom '' Eve'' and was the Doritos Girl in a 1998 Super Bowl commercial. In 1998, ...

, Miss USA 1996 pageant winner * Scott Angelle, director of the

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE "Bessie") is an agency under the United States Department of the Interior. Established in 2011, BSEE is the lead agency in charge of improving safety and ensuring environmental protection r ...

, former member of the

Louisiana Public Service Commission The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year te ...

, former lieutenant governor, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2015 * Calvin Borel, American Thoroughbred Jockey and 3-time Kentucky Derby winner * Gerald Boudreaux, state senator for St. Martin Parish, effective January 2016 *

Etnah Rochon Boutte Etnah Rochon Boutte (1881 – March 9, 1973) was an American educator, pharmacist, and clubwoman. She taught French at Fisk University and in New York City. She was executive secretary of the Circle for Negro War Relief during World War I. Early ...

, French teacher, pharmacist in Harlem *

Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana ...

, retired NFL

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

* Charles Fuselier, sheriff of St. Martin Parish from 1980 to 2003; "National Sheriff of the Year" in 1996 * Jesse J. Guidry, state representative, former director of the

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is a state agency of Louisiana that maintains state wildlife and fishery areas. The agency is headquartered in the capital city of Baton Rouge. Mission The Louisiana Department of Wildlife ...

* Mike "Pete" Huval, state representative; former member of the St. Martin Parish Council * Jeff Landry, Attorney General of Louisiana; former U.S. representative * Wade O. Martin, Jr., secretary of state * James D. Simon, state senator

References

External links

Official website

St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission
Geology * Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000
''Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''
Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. {{Coord, 30.13, -91.61, type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990, display=title 1807 establishments in the Territory of Orleans Parishes in Acadiana

Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana St. Martin Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 52 ...

Border irregularities of the United States Lafayette metropolitan area, Louisiana

Populated places established in 1807