Houma is Founded

Today's parish seat, Houma, was founded in 1834 on land known as the Hache Grant.When Louisiana became a state, Joseph Hache applied for a claim of land that he owned prior to that time. It wasn't until 1823 that he received word that his claim was granted. The grant was for land on both sides of Bayou Terrebonne, centered at present-day Houma. Hache sold the property on March 2, 1828 to Bridgette Belanger (H.S. Thibodeaux's widow). Five years later, she traded a part of it to Francois Belanger. The tract was 10 arpents deep (on both sides of Bayou Terrebonne) and stretched for 8 arpents along the bayou. Francois sold part of that tract (4 arpents front by 10 arpents deep, on the right bank of the bayou) to Hubert M. Belanger and Richard H. Grinage the following year (1834).

 At that time, settlers of the parish wanted to move the parish seat further down the bayou, closer to the road that went from Bayou Terrebonne to Bayou Black. The Belanger/Grinage tract was only 3 arpents below this road. They donated part of their land (1 arpent front by 10 arpents deep) to the parish. The rest of their property was divided into lots and sold. Grinage, who had bought out Belanger, sold the first lot to Francis W. Jones. Located at the southeast corner of Main and Goode Streets, it was home to the first inn in Terrebonne Parish (1837).

The earliest map of the town was made in 1847 by J.B. Grinage. Houma was incorporated on March 16, 1848.  In 1855, a map was made that showed the progress of the city of Houma. It shows the courthouse (with recorder building in front and the prison in back), two churches (Methodist and Catholic), a school, and several other structures.