Louisiana - St. Martinville/Evangeline Oak

St. Martinville and Evangeline Oak


Once upon a time, there was a poem named Evangeline, about the plight of the Acadians who were shipped out of Atlantic Canada during the French and Indian War because the British feared the French speakers would be treasonous. Some may have, but most were peaceful farmers who may not have even known there was a war. In Longfellow's poem, Evangeline's lover was shipped far away by the British, and she spent a lifetime trying to find him, only to have him die in her arms as she finally met him as a nurse. There was never a woman named Evangeline and the poem was not based on an actual story, but St. Martinville claims otherwise, that Emmeline LaBiche made her way to this town as a nurse, finding Louis Arceneaux under an oak tree as he was dying. She has a grave in front of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, and it will never be unearthed to prove whether there's an actual person inside. If not, it would destroy the legend. If so, it wouldn't add anything because there's no way of knowing. That's just fine by this town, who uses Evangeline as a gateway to discuss Louisiana's Acadian heritage that helps make this state unique. (Canadian maritime provinces, including Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, also use the legend of Evangeline to describe the Canadian events of Acadia.)


So here's St. Martin Church, obviously the same saint as the town, on Main St. (LA Highway 31).


Father A.M. Jan, not even the first pastor of the church, gets one statue, but the more important one is the aforementioned LaBiche gravesite.


The least important memorial. The Alice Talley Memorial for the church parking lot. This makes me full of awe, meaning this is awful. I don't want to see any other parking lot memorials.


I already told you all signs are bilingual, so here I focus on the French ones. Good luck figuring out Judge Simon.


This is the Evangeline Oak, purported final meeting place of the legendary lovers.


The view up Bayou Teche, the original Mississippi River, north toward Bridge St. (LA Highway 96). If you'd like to see the bridge, click there, and you'd probably enjoy some more roads pages as well.


Cajun-area historical signs are bilingual.


Some old buildings about town, ending with the old Castillo Hotel.


Scenes along Bridge St.

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