Terrebonne Parish GenWeb
LaGenWeb
Acadians & the First Settlers The years 1765 to 1788 saw the influx of the Acadians into Louisiana. Thousands were exiled from their homeland in 1755 by the English. They spent the next decade toiling in poverty in the English and French colonial territory. The first few Acadians made their way to Louisiana in 1764. Soon, several hundred Acadians followed. The first settlers chose Attakapas (present-day St. Martinville) for their home. Later that year, other Acadians settled along the Mississippi River above the German Coast. The river settlements would soon become known as the Acadian Coasts (1st-St. James; 2nd-Ascension). Over 1,000 Acadians migrated to Louisiana in the 1760s.
A second mass exportation of Acadians had occurred in 1758 from Acadia. These exiles were sent to France. They were joined in 1763 by the Acadians being held in England. In 1785, over 1500 of them ... sailing on seven ships ... made their way to Louisiana. Since most of the land had been taken at Attakapas and the Acadian Coast, the majority of the 1785 Acadians settled along Bayou Lafourche. Following this mass immigration, relatively few Acadians made it to Louisiana. In all, it is estimated that over 3,000 Acadians settled in south Louisiana. You can find additional information at the sites on Acadian History and Cajun History. It is thought that the first Acadians made their way to the Terrebonne Parish area in 1791.
So, were there any inhabitants of the Terrebonne Parish area before the Acadians arrived? Substantial evidence is lacking. The one name that does surface as an early inhabitant of the area is Darbonne (also D'Arbonne or Derbonne). In the American State Papers, a rejected claim for Charles Jumonville Villier for a piece of land on the bayou between the Lafourche and the Atchafalaya mentions that the claim was above a place called "l'Ancien Campement de Monsieur Darbonne". It is known that today's Bayou Terrebonne was originally called Bayou Darbonne. This Darbonne fellow was actually Jacques Dupre dit Terrebonne. He came to Louisiana in the first half of the century and lived in several places around the state. Check an article in the Imperial St Landry Gen. & Hist. Society of Opelousas, La. magazine, Vol VIII, No. 1, 2000, for more on Jacques.
Though Native Americans had been in the area many years before, there were no tribes present when the European population started moving into the area. It is believed that Native Americans, feeling the pressure of new settlers in the 1780s, moved down Bayou Lafourche. But their exact arrival date in Terrebonne Parish is not known. In the early 1800s, the American State Papers, which included a list of land claims, were assembled. Since the Spanish failed to leave proper records, settlers had to prove that they had been on the land and cultivating it for a number of years for their claim to be approved.
The approved claims along Bayou Terrebonne (then known as Bayou Darbonne) include the following. Those marked with an * were rejected.
Some claims in the Terrebonne Parish area were rejected. Among those were the following
For more details on early land settlers along Bayou Terrebonne, Click Here. Though Louisiana had belonged to the Spanish since 1762, it was given to France (as part of another deal) in 1803. France turned around and sold it to the United States 20 days later. In 1805, Louisiana was divided into 7 parishes. Lafourche Interior included today's Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Assumption parishes. Louisiana became the 18th state in 1812. After becoming U.S. territory, additional settlers came into the area.
For more details on early land settlers along Bayou Terrebonne, click HERE.
If you have questions, contributions, or problems with this site, email: Marsha Holley
State Coordinator: Marsha Holley
