Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Breaux Bridge is a city in St. Martin Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population is 8,139 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
This community is called the "Crawfish Capital of the World", a designation obtained by former Speaker
of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Robert J. "Bob" Angelle
. It is also known for its unusual listing of nicknames in its telephone directory
.
pioneer Firmin Breaux bought land in the present-day city of Breaux Bridge from Jean François Ledée, a wealthy New Orleans merchant who had acquired the land as a French
land grant. By 1774, Breaux's branding iron was registered, and by 1786 he was one of the largest property owners in the Bayou Teche
country.
In 1799, Breaux built a footbridge across the Bayou Teche
to help ease the passage for his family and neighbors. This first bridge was a suspension footbridge, likely made of rope and small planks. It was stabilized by being tied to small pilings located at each end of the bridge, as well as to a pair of huge live oak
trees on both sides of the bayou. When traveling directions were given, residents would often instruct people to "go to Breaux's bridge...", which eventually was adopted as the city's name.
In 1817, Firmin's son Agricole built the first vehicular bridge, allowing for the passage of wagons and increased commerce in the area. The town received its official founding in 1829 when Scholastique Picou Breaux, Agricole's widow, drew up a plan called Plan de la Ville Du Pont des Breaux for the city and began developing the property by selling lots to other Acadian
settlers. A church parish was created in 1847 and in 1859, Breaux Bridge was officially incorporated.
In 1959, the Louisiana
legislature
officially designated Breaux Bridge as "la capitale Mondiale de l'ecrevisse" ("the Crawfish Capital of the World").
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is water
. The total area is 1.65% water.
of 2000, there were 7,281 people, 2,512 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,111.7 people per square mile (429.2/km²). There were 2,740 housing units at an average density of 418.3 per square mile (161.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.84% White, 48.66% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. Of the population over the age of five, 68.3% spoke English
at home, and 28.3% spoke French
.
There were 2,512 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,102, and the median income for a family was $31,570. Males had a median income of $30,880 versus $17,819 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,536. About 26.8% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
. The city of Breaux Bridge is zoned to Breaux Bridge Primary School (Grades PK-3), Breaux Bridge Elementary School (Grades 4-6), Breaux Bridge Junior High School (Grades 7-8), and Breaux Bridge High School http://www.stmartin.k12.la.us/bbhs (Grades 9-12).
Private schools include St. Bernard Elementary (Grades PreK-8). This school is a Catholic school. http://www.sbscrusaders.com/ Also, Breaux Bridge Christian Academy (Grades PreK-12).
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population is 8,139 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
This community is called the "Crawfish Capital of the World", a designation obtained by former Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Robert J. "Bob" Angelle
Bob Angelle
Robert Joseph Angelle, known as Bob Angelle , was a businessman and politician from Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, who was the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1957-1960, the last term of Governor Earl Kemp Long. Angelle was part of the powerful Long faction of Louisiana...
. It is also known for its unusual listing of nicknames in its telephone directory
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
.
History
In 1771, AcadianAcadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
pioneer Firmin Breaux bought land in the present-day city of Breaux Bridge from Jean François Ledée, a wealthy New Orleans merchant who had acquired the land as a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
land grant. By 1774, Breaux's branding iron was registered, and by 1786 he was one of the largest property owners in the Bayou Teche
Bayou Teche
The Bayou Teche is a waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche was the Mississippi River's main course when it developed a delta about 2,800 to 4,500 years ago...
country.
In 1799, Breaux built a footbridge across the Bayou Teche
Bayou Teche
The Bayou Teche is a waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche was the Mississippi River's main course when it developed a delta about 2,800 to 4,500 years ago...
to help ease the passage for his family and neighbors. This first bridge was a suspension footbridge, likely made of rope and small planks. It was stabilized by being tied to small pilings located at each end of the bridge, as well as to a pair of huge live oak
Southern live oak
Quercus virginiana, also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South....
trees on both sides of the bayou. When traveling directions were given, residents would often instruct people to "go to Breaux's bridge...", which eventually was adopted as the city's name.
In 1817, Firmin's son Agricole built the first vehicular bridge, allowing for the passage of wagons and increased commerce in the area. The town received its official founding in 1829 when Scholastique Picou Breaux, Agricole's widow, drew up a plan called Plan de la Ville Du Pont des Breaux for the city and began developing the property by selling lots to other Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlers. A church parish was created in 1847 and in 1859, Breaux Bridge was officially incorporated.
In 1959, the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
officially designated Breaux Bridge as "la capitale Mondiale de l'ecrevisse" ("the Crawfish Capital of the World").
Geography
Breaux Bridge (Ville Du Pont des Breaux) is located at 30°16′33"N 91°54′4"W (30.275939, -91.901230).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 1.65% water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,281 people, 2,512 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,111.7 people per square mile (429.2/km²). There were 2,740 housing units at an average density of 418.3 per square mile (161.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.84% White, 48.66% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.27% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population. Of the population over the age of five, 68.3% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at home, and 28.3% spoke French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
There were 2,512 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,102, and the median income for a family was $31,570. Males had a median income of $30,880 versus $17,819 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,536. About 26.8% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the St. Martin Parish School BoardSt. Martin Parish School Board
The St. Martin Parish School Board is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the city of St. Martinville.-Schools:...
. The city of Breaux Bridge is zoned to Breaux Bridge Primary School (Grades PK-3), Breaux Bridge Elementary School (Grades 4-6), Breaux Bridge Junior High School (Grades 7-8), and Breaux Bridge High School http://www.stmartin.k12.la.us/bbhs (Grades 9-12).
Private schools include St. Bernard Elementary (Grades PreK-8). This school is a Catholic school. http://www.sbscrusaders.com/ Also, Breaux Bridge Christian Academy (Grades PreK-12).
Notable people
- Scott AngelleScott AngelleScott Anthony Angelle is a former lieutenant governor of Louisiana. He was appointed to the position by Governor Bobby Jindal and confirmed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2010, when Mitch Landrieu resigned the lieutenant governorship to become mayor of New Orleans...
, former interim Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (2010) - Tim CredeurTim CredeurTimothy Wallace Credeur II is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 and was defeated by fellow cast member Jesse Taylor in the semi-finals. He was then brought back into the competition following the disqualification of Taylor. He fought C.B...
, UFC fighter and Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt - Ash "Asheighpaya" Dupuis, Professional Cosmetologist
- Jake DelhommeJake DelhommeJake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the NFL's Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Sonny LandrethSonny LandrethSonny Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, but soon after, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, before settling in Lafayette, Louisiana...
, musician - Eric "Zone" Gassiott, Bog snorkellingBog snorkellingBog snorkelling is a sporting event that consists of competitors completing two consecutive lengths of a water filled trench cut through a peat bog, in the shortest time possible. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers, and complete the course without using conventional swimming strokes,...
champion - Hunter HayesHunter Hayes (musician)Hunter Easton Hayes is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Atlantic Records Nashville, which released his debut single "Storm Warning" on May 16th, 2011. His self titled album was released on October 11, 2011.-Biography:Hayes was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana...
, musician - Chris HebertChris HebertChris Hebert is an American former child actor who has appeared in a number of television series, commercials, and a few feature films.-Early life:...
, spinnakerSpinnakerA spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of...
champion - Mike "Pete" HuvalMike "Pete" HuvalMichael Paul Huval, known as Mike "Pete" Huval , is an insurance agent from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 47 in St. Martin Parish....
, state representative; former member of the St. Martin Parish Council, insurance agent - Jules JeanmardJules JeanmardJules Benjamin Jeanmard was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1918 to 1956.-Biography:...
, Roman Catholic bishop - Gary "Gas-Lift" Gassiott, Gas LiftGas liftGas lift is one of a number of processes used to artificially lift oil or water from wells where there is insufficient reservoir pressure to produce the well. The process involves injecting gas through the tubing-casing annulus. Injected gas aerates the fluid to reduce its density; the formation...
& Petroleum Enhancement Service specialist - Shawn "Hick" Higginbotham, Gas liftGas liftGas lift is one of a number of processes used to artificially lift oil or water from wells where there is insufficient reservoir pressure to produce the well. The process involves injecting gas through the tubing-casing annulus. Injected gas aerates the fluid to reduce its density; the formation...
specialist - Ali LandryAli LandryAli Germaine Landry is a former Miss USA , model and actress. She is perhaps best known as the Doritos Girl from her 1998 Super Bowl commercial, and for her portrayal of Rita Lefleur on the UPN sitcom Eve. In 1998, she was named by People magazine as one of 50 most beautiful people in the world.-...
, Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990, Miss Louisiana USA 1996, Miss USA 1996Miss USA 1996Miss USA 1996, the forty-fifth Miss USA pageant, was held at South Padre Island, Texas culminating in the final competition and crowning on February 2, 1996....
pageant winner (actually from Nina Station) - Branford MarsalisBranford MarsalisBranford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
, jazz musician and former band leader for the The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by... - Fred H. Mills, Jr.Fred Mills (Louisiana politician)Fred Henry Mills, Jr. , is a pharmacist and banker from St. Martinville, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, having won a special election on January 22, 2011, for the District 22 seat vacated in 2010 by the Independent Troy Hebert of Jeanerette.Mills had since 2008...
, state senator and president of Farmers-Merchants Bank and Trust Co. in Breaux Bridge - Domanick Williams, former running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 2003 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the YearPepsi NFL Rookie of the YearThe Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award was created in 2002, sponsored by Pepsi. This is an award voted online by the fans, and it is completely separate from the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year awards voted on by the Associated Press...
Notable places
- Visions(Hair-Salon)
- Country Charm Bed & Breakfast
- Sidelines
- Robert's Jewelry
- Maison de Fleurs
- La Poussière
- Mulate's Cajun Restaurant
- Café des Amis Cajun Restaurant
- Poche's Market
- Mama Arielle's House
- Parc Hardy
- Bayou Teche
- Crawfish Town USA, INC.
- Charlie T's
- St. Bernard Church
- Fly's Coffee House
- Park Pont des Breaux