Acadia Parish () is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

located in the U.S. state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,576. The

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

and the most populous municipality is Crowley. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish in 1886, and later an election was held to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne and Prairie Hayes. Acadia Parish is included in the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.

History

The name of the parish is derived from the former French colony of

Acadia Acadia (; ) 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. The population of Acadia included the various ...

in Canada (which consisted of the modern provinces of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, and much of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

). After Britain defeated France in the Seven Years War, they took control of their North American colonies east of the Mississippi River. They required ethnic French Acadians to take a loyalty oath and never got over their suspicions of them. They deported many of the French-speaking inhabitants to France. From there, some joined others who had migrated directly to the French colony of '' La Louisiane'' (Louisiana) in what was known as the

Great Upheaval The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal of inhabitants of the North American region historically known as Acadia between 1755 and 1764 by Great Britain. It included the modern Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Br ...

. (see

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

s). The parish was formed from the southwestern portion of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. On May 19, 1886, a bill was introduced in the Louisiana state house entitled "An act to create the parish of Nicholls, and to provide for the organization thereof." The title was later changed to read: "An act to create the parish of Acadia." Father Joseph Anthonioz, the first pastor of the Catholic Church at Rayne, is credited with having suggested the name, Acadia Parish. The bill passed the house on June 11, the senate on June 28, and was approved by Governor Samuel D. McEnery on June 30.Fontenot, Mary.''Acadia Parish, Louisiana''. The Center for Louisiana Studies, 1976, p. 244. On October 6, an election was held to affirm the creation of the parish, with 2,516 votes for and 1,521 votes against the creation. The population of the new parish was from 10,000 to 12,000. Acadia Parish population in 1890 was 13,231.Fontenot, Mary.''Acadia Parish, Louisiana''. The Center for Louisiana Studies, 1976, p. 254. After a close election held on March 1, 1887, Crowley was chosen as the

, gathering 698 votes to Rayne's and Prairie Hayes' 560 and 519, respectively. The election also determined the first officers in the parish: Elridge W. Lyons, first sheriff of Acadia; and R. T. Clark, first clerk of court. The first courthouse was constructed in Crowley and completed on June 30, 1888. It continued to be used until May 1, 1902, when it was destroyed to make way for the second building.Fontenot, Mary.''Acadia Parish, Louisiana''. The Center for Louisiana Studies, 1976, p. 298.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the parish has a total area of , of which are land and (0.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. It generally travels near Int ...

* U.S. Highway 190 * Louisiana Highway 13 * Louisiana Highway 35 * Louisiana Highway 91 * Louisiana Highway 92 * Louisiana Highway 95 * Louisiana Highway 97 * Louisiana Highway 98 * Louisiana Highway 365 * Louisiana Highway 370 * Louisiana Highway 1111

Adjacent parishes

* Evangeline Parish (north) * St. Landry Parish (northeast) *

Lafayette Parish Lafayette Parish () 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 and largest city is Lafayett ...

(east) * Vermilion Parish (south) * Jefferson Davis Parish (west)

Communities

Cities

* Crowley (parish seat and largest municipality) * Eunice * Rayne

Towns

* Basile * Church Point * Duson *

Iota Iota (; uppercase Ι, lowercase ι; ) is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh. Letters that arose from this letter include the Latin I and J, the Cyrillic І (І, і), Yi (Ї, ї), and J ...

Villages

* Estherwood * Mermentau *

Morse Morse may refer to: People * Morse (surname) * Morse Goodman (1917-1993), Anglican Bishop of Calgary, Canada * Morse Robb (1902–1992), Canadian inventor and entrepreneur Geography Antarctica * Cape Morse, Wilkes Land * Mount Morse, Churchi ...

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated places

Branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...

* Egan * Midland

Other communities

* Arceneaux *

Bates Bates may refer to: Places * Bates, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Bates, Illinois. an unincorporated community in Sangamon County * Bates, Michigan, a community in Grand Traverse County * Bates, New York, a hamlet in the town of Elli ...

* Bluff * Castile * Deshotel * Ebenezer * Ellis *

Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel during the e ...

* Frey * Gatte's Cove * Gumpoint * Hundley * Judd * Keystone * LeJeune Cove * Link * Little Japan * Lyons Point *

Maxie Maxie is a given name, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Max Baer (boxer) (1909–1959), American world champion heavyweight boxer, nicknamed "Madcap Maxie" * Max Maxie Anderson (1934–1983), American ho ...

* Mermentau Cove * Millerville *

Mire A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...

(formerly Marais Bouleur and Bosco) * Mowata * Peach Bloom * Pitreville *

Pointe Noire Pointe-Noire (; , with the letter d following French spelling standards) is the second largest city in the Republic of the Congo, following the capital of Brazzaville, and an autonomous Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department and ...

* Prairie Hayes *

Prudhomme Prudhomme or Prud'homme may refer to: * Prudhomme (surname), a surname of French origin. The surname derives from the Old French prud'homme, meaning a wise, honest or sensible man. * Prud'homme, Saskatchewan, a Canadian village * Prudhomme Lake ...

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

* Ritchie * Robert's Cove * Rork *

Shortbread Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part sugar, white sugar, two parts butter and three to four parts plain flour, plain wheat flour. Shortbread does not contain leavening, such as baking powder or bakin ...

* Tepetate * Tortue * Tee Mamou *

Whitehouse Whitehouse may refer to: People * Charles S. Whitehouse (1921–2001), American diplomat * Cornelius Whitehouse (1796–1883), English engineer and inventor * E. Sheldon Whitehouse (1883–1965), American diplomat * Elliott Whitehouse (born ...

* Williams

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 57,576 people, 22,236 households, and 15,519 families residing in the parish. At the 2010 United States census, 61,773 people were residing in the parish, and 58,861 people at the 2000 United States census. In 2019, the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated 62,045 people lived in the parish. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 77.4%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

, 17.4% Black and African American, 0.1%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...

, 0.1% Asian alone, 0.3% some other race, 2.8% two or more races, and 2.6% Hispanic and Latin American of any race. In 2010, 79.5% were

White American White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as " person having ...

, 18.1% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% some other race, and 1.3% of two or more races; 1.7% were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. Among the population in 2019, 73.8% were aged 18 and older, and 14.9% aged 65 and older; 7.0% were aged 5 and under. The median age was 36.7, and 27.4% were of French heritage; 9.3% were German, 4.2% English, 4.1% Irish, 0.5%

sub-Saharan African Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

, 0.4%

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

, 0.1% Norwegian, and 0.1% Polish in ancestry. Among the population in 2010, 43.7% were of French,

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

, 10.8% American, and 8.0%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

ancestry. Approximately 10% of the parish spoke a language other than English at home. There were 22,236 households spread among 26,435 housing units. There was a home-ownership rate of 71.1% with an average of 3.31 people per household; an estimated 32% of the population living in the parish were never married, and 26.2% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them. The median gross rent was $662, and the median household value was $118,000. The median monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,083, and $312 without a mortgage. An estimated 1,120 businesses operated in the parish, and the median household income was $43,396; the mean income was $61,465. The parish had a 52.6% employment rate, and 24.2% of the total population lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.

Arts and culture

Many festivals and cultural celebrations are held annually in Acadia Parish, including the International Rice Festival in Crowley
Frog Festival
in Rayne, and Buggy Festival in Church Point. Cajun food and

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, both specialties of the local population, feature prominently in these festivals. Several communities in Acadia Parish celebrate the tradition of ''

Courir de Mardi Gras The (, ) is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun and Creole communities of French Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. is Louisiana French for " Fat Tuesday Run". This rural Mardi Gras celebration is based on early begg ...

''. Disguised with masks and costumes, Cajuns travel through their rural neighborhoods, making merry while begging for

gumbo Gumbo () is a stew that is popular among the U.S. Gulf Coast community, the New Orleans stew variation being the official state cuisine of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock, meat or shellfis ...

ingredients. The gumbo is the centerpiece of a communal supper and dance.

Education

Acadia Parish is served by Acadia Parish Schools. * Acadia Parish Head Start - Church Point * Church Point Elementary (grades PK-5) (Church Point) * Church Point Middle (grades 6–8) (Church Point) * Church Point High (grades 9–12) (Church Point) * Acadia Parish Head Start - Rayne * Central Rayne Kindergarten (grades PK-1) (Rayne) * Martin Petitjean Elementary (grades 1–3) (Rayne) * South Rayne Elementary (grades 4–5) (Rayne) * Armstrong Middle (grades 6–8) (Rayne) * Rayne High (grades 9–12) (Rayne) * Acadia Parish Head Start - Crowley * Crowley Kindergarten (grades PK-K) (Crowley) * North Crowley Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley) * Ross Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley) * South Crowley Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley) * Crowley Middle (grades 6–8) (Crowley) * Iota Elementary (grades PK-5) (Iota) * Iota Middle (grades 6–8) (Iota) * Iota High (grades 9–12) (Iota) * Acadia Parish Head Start - Estherwood * Branch Elementary (grades PK-8) (Branch) * Egan Elementary (grades PK-8) (Egan) * Estherwood Elementary (grades PK-7) (Estherwood) * Evangeline Elementary (grades PK-8) (Evangeline) * Mermentau Elementary (grades PK-7) (Mermentau) * Mire Elementary (grades PK-8) (unincorporated Rayne) * Morse Elementary (grades PK-7) (Morse) * Richard Elementary (grades PK-8) (unincorporated Church Point) * Crowley High (grades 9–12) (unincorporated Crowley) * Midland High (grades 8–12) (unincorporated Midland) Acadia Parish is also served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette with five schools: * St. Francis School (grades PK-8) (Iota) * Rayne Catholic Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Rayne) * St. Michael Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Crowley) * Our Mother of Peace Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Church Point) * Notre Dame High School (grades 9–12) (Crowley) Additionally, Acadia Parish is served by one unaffiliated private school: * Northside Christian School (grades PK-12) (Crowley) Acadia Parish is served by two institutions of higher education: * Louisiana State University, Eunice ( Eunice) * South Louisiana Community College service area: Acadian Campus (Crowley) Acadia Parish Library operates branches in the parish.

National Guard

C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Crowley, Louisiana. As part of the 256th IBCT, this unit deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010.

Politics

Historically, along with the rest of

, Acadia Parish strongly supported the Democratic Party, with support waning throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Following Bill Clinton's

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

re-election bid, Acadia Parish has voted exclusively for Republican candidates at the presidential level.

Notable people

* Tommy Casanova (born 1950), former

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

NFL

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

Wayne Toups Wayne Toups (born October 2, 1958, in Crowley, Louisiana) is one of the most commercially successful American Cajun music, Cajun singers. He is also a songwriter. Wayne Toups has been granted numerous awards and honors throughout his career incl ...

(born 1958), popular

musician, singer, and songwriter * Bill Cleveland (1902–1974), real estate developer and former member of both houses of the

Louisiana State Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (; ) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral legislature, body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 ...

* Jo-El Sonnier (1946–2024),

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

and

singer, songwriter, and

accordionist Accordions (from 19th-century German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed in a frame). The es ...

* Tony Thibodeaux (1938–2010),

fiddler A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially syno ...

* Joe Werner (1909–1978), early

musician and member of the

Hackberry Ramblers The Hackberry Ramblers (also known as the Riverside Ramblers) is a Grammy Award-nominated Cajun music band based in Hackberry, Louisiana and formed in 1933. Since its heyday in the late 1930s it has become one of the most recognized names and in ...

Camey Doucet Camey Joseph Doucet is a Cajun musician and disc jockey. Doucet has been twice honored by the Cajun French Music Association being inducted into the hall of fame in its inaugural year in 1997 and awarded for ''Continuing Contribution to Cajun M ...

(born 1939), Cajun musician and disc jockey * Victory "Trey" Trahan, architect and Fellow of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

George Stanley Colonel George Francis Gillman Stanley (July 6, 1907September 13, 2002) was a Canadian author, soldier, historian at Mount Allison University, public servant, and designer of the Canadian Flag. Early life and education George F. G. Stanley was ...

(1903–1970), sculptor for the design of the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

statue and the Muse Sculpture at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...

* Rosie Ledet (born 1971), Creole and

zydeco Zydeco ( ; ) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by French speaking, Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends African and Caribbean rhythms, blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana ...

musician and singer * Jack Brooks (1922–2012), longtime

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

for

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

* Seth Thibodeaux (born 1980), college baseball coach * J. Bert Sonnier (born 1938), retired trainer of

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorses * Taylor Ri'chard (born 1980), film director, screenwriter, executive producer, and actor * Clint Brown (born 1963), gospel musician * Barry Jean Ancelet (born 1951),

folklorist Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...

Louisiana French Louisiana French (Louisiana French: ''français louisianais''; ) includes the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisiana French is primarily use ...

and ethnomusicologist in

Cajun music Cajun music (), an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based ...

* Godfrey Zaunbrecher (born 1946), former NFL center * Dudley Wilkins (1914–1989), 1934

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down the tr ...

champion and participant at

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

* Gary Lavergne (born 1955), author * J. Roy White (1907–1985), architect and artist * Belton Richard (1939–2017),

and vocalist * Josh Reed (born 1980), former NFL

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

and 2001 recipient of the

Biletnikoff Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...

* Dave Petitjean (1928–2013), actor and humorist of

stories * Elvis Perrodin (1956–2012),

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

* Byron Mouton (born 1978), former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player and member of 2002

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...

team at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

* Gerard Melancon (born 1967),

* Mark Carrier (born 1965), former NFL

and current

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

player engagement director * Victoria Anne Kennedy (born 1954), current

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of th ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

* Elmore Nixon (1933–1975),

jump blues Jump blues is an uptempo style of blues, jazz, and boogie woogie usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues wa ...

pianist and singer *

Kidd Jordan Edward "Kidd" Jordan ( Crowley, May 5, 1935 – April 7, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist and music educator from New Orleans, Louisiana. He taught at Southern University at New Orleans from 1974 to 2006. Biography Jordan was born in Crowl ...

(1935–2023),

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist and music educator * Chris John (born 1960),

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

and former

* Lee Benoit (born 1959),

musician * Donnie Meche (born 1974),

* Leroy Leblanc (1915–1988),

swing musician * Mike Heinen (born 1967),

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

* Alyson Habetz (born 1971), current

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

head coach at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette * Mary Alice Fontenot (1910–2003), journalist and author of children's books and books on Louisiana history * Orlando Thomas (1972–2014), former NFL

* Johnny Rebel (1938–2016), controversial singer, songwriter, and musician who performed songs that were supportive of

white supremacy White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

* John Stefanski (born 1984), attorney and member of

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

* Johnnie Allan (born 1938), musician and singer who pioneered the

swamp pop Swamp pop is a music genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s by young Cajuns and Creoles, it combines New Orleans–style rhythm and blues, Country music, countr ...

musical genre * Sherman Andrus (born 1942), gospel singer and former member of

The Imperials The Imperials is an American contemporary Christian music group that has been active for over 60 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There ...

* J.D. "Jay" Miller (1922–1996), record producer and songwriter * Larry Miller (born 1936), retired

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

maker * Buford Jordan (born 1962), former NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

* Ed Zaunbrecher (born 1950), former college football coach * Sidney Brown (1906–1981), musician and noted

Cajun accordion A Cajun accordion (in Cajun French: ''accordéon''), also known as a squeezebox, is single-row diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun and Creole music. History Many different accordions were developed in Europe throughout the 19th c ...

builder * Jim Gueno (born 1954), former NFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

John Breaux John Berlinger Breaux (; born March 1, 1944) is an American lobbyist, attorney, and retired politician from Louisiana. He served in the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987 and as a United State ...

(born 1944), lobbyist, attorney and retired former

and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

* Edwin Edwards (1927–2021), 50th Governor of

who started his political career on the Crowley City Council * Tony Robichaux (1961–2019), former head baseball coach at

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...

and

McNeese State University McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. M ...

* Irene Whitfield Holmes (1900–1993),

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...

and educator

References

External links

Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce

Acadia Parish Clerk of Court

Acadia Parish Tourist Commission

Acadia Parish GIS Maps

Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office
Geology * Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003
''Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''
Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. {{ , titlestyle = background:#ccccff; , title = Presidential elections results Louisiana parishes Parishes in Acadiana 1886 establishments in Louisiana Populated places established in 1886