I have been travelling through the state of Louisiana for years. Raised on the Gulf Coast of Texas I became very familiar with the last names Thibodaux and DuBois. We grew up seeing gumbo and jambalaya as part our state’s local cuisine.
Something that has always raised a question in my mind is the reason behind the state of Louisiana having “Parishes” as opposed to the “Counties” found in most states. I did a bit of research and I’m sharing the results with you today.
Louisiana was originally a combination of French and Spanish colonies, that were primarily Roman Catholic. When the Louisiana Purchase took place in 1803, what was then termed the Territory of Orleans, was divided into 12 counties with poorly defined borders. In 1807 the territorial legislature met and formed nineteen parishes but they did not change the counties. When the state was admitted into the Union in 1845 and the state’s constitution was written the term parish was used throughout the document and has maintained that title to this day. The term county faded away.
Since the Roman Catholic church had so much to do with governing of the state in early days it makes sense to me that the area around the various churches in the state, termed as parishes, should remain instead of changing to the normal term of county. Like so many things the use of this term, which stems from the French and Spanish influence that remain in modern day, is one of the charming things about Louisiana that set it apart from so many other places.
Today Louisiana is made up of sixty-four parishes. The names of many still evoke the religion which forms the base of so many parts of this state. Ascension, Assumption, Saint John the Baptist are three that come to mind. Then there are the parishes that so clearly speak of the French influence….Evangeline (more about that in a future post), Lafayette and Calcasieu are just a few. I find Louisiana to be a magical state. There is an abundance of fascinating history I am beginning to explore and will share in upcoming posts. Great lore….a few ghost stories and plenty of good times are rolling!
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