Opelousas, Louisiana 2025

Opelousas, Louisiana, incorporated in 1828, is a small city in St. Landry Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat and largest city of St. Landry Parish. The population was approximately 16,577 at the 2020 United States Census, a slight increase from the 2000 census. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 intersect in Opelousas. The city is also home to a campus of the University of Louisiana, a historically black college.

There are several local attractions in Opelousas:

Le Vieux Village, a historical preservation project of the city, is a main tourist attraction.

* The Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center houses rotating exhibits that emphasize the city's history.

* The Opelousas Historic District is entered in the National Register of Historic Places.

* St. Landry Parish Courthouse, completed in 1912, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It has a clock tower that chimes hourly.

* The old city jail building is now home to the Opelousas Museum of Art and History.

* Special events in Opelousas include the annual "Courir de Mardi Gras," a rural Mardi Gras celebration, and the "Pork and Beans Reunion," an annual reunion of area alumni of a historic school which was replaced by a new school due to integration requirements.

The Opelousas General Health System hospital is in Opelousas.

The first commercial sugar mill in the United States was opened in 1795 by David Beeson, a businessman from Maryland, on land that later became part of the city of Opelousas. When the United States entered World War II, local men enlisted in large numbers. The war effort was supported at home by war bond drives and scrap metal collection, and the Opelousas Army Airfield was used to train and house soldier.

First named "F Prairie," Opelousas was renamed for the Opelousas Indian tribe, meaning "prairie" in the group's native language. Early settlers developed trade and farming in the area, and by the 1840s, Opelousas had become a major cotton-producing area. In 1860, the community had 166 slaves.

At one time, Opelousas had three grand hotels, ten restaurants, and four churches (Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, and Catholic). A branch of the railroad was built during the first decade of the 20th century.

By 1931, the community had more than 30 businesses operating, including garages, drug stores, doctors' offices, gas stations, and grocery stores. That year, the city's first newspaper, The Opelousas Courier, began its long run.

A devastating fire on Main Street in the mid-1940s destroyed much of the city's business district. There was significant rain at the time, with water from nearby Big Bayou Boeuf overflowing into nearby homes and businesses. A movie theater that had been vacant, and the adjacent hardware store, building, and street were destroyed.

Harmon's Music Store, a local music staple, once stood on Main Street. It closed in the early 1990s. The location reopened as "Harmon's 2," but it too has since closed.

The area produces rice and cotton.

The city possesses a small city-funded public library, built with local taxes. The library features approximately three thousand square feet of reading space.

The city is known for its diverse Creole and Cajun culture, as well as its blues and zydeco music heritage.

In the 1950s, black residents of the area organized to challenge segregation. On June 21, 1953, NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall argued in the Supreme Court that the St. Landry Parish School Board be required to integrate black children into previously all-white schools. The court decided in favor of the plaintiffs in the case, Lloyd G. Boucher v. the School Board of St. Landry Parish. In 1954, the schools were desegregated, and in 1960, black voters in the area were able to register and vote for the first time due to the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

Several notable figures are associated with the city:

* Baseball player Ron Guidry was born in the city and resided there until being traded to the New York Yankees in 1976.

* Blues musician and zydeco performer Lightnin' Slim was born in the city.

* Swamp blues singer and musician Lazy Lester was born and raised in the area.

* LSU football coach Les Miles was born in the city.

* Former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco lived in the city.

* Opelousas native Garrett Morris, a groundbreaking African-American comedian, actor, and musician, was one of the first cast members of Saturday Night Live.

* La India, a singer of Indian descent, resided in the area.

* Opelousas is the childhood home of gospel singer and "Queen of Gospel" singer Shirley Caesar.

* Musician and producer Dave Bartholomew was born in the city.

* Professional wrestler Primo Colon is from the city.

* Donald Gardner, a former defensive back in the NFL, was born in and raised in the city.

* Former NFL wide receiver and National Teacher of the Year Eddie G. Floyd was born and raised in the city.