Learn about the city of Lafayette, Louisiana and explore Lafayette auto shipping companies. Whether you are relocating to Lafayette, LA to work, study or raise a family, AutoShipping.com can help you get free quotes from Lafayette auto transport companies!
Lafayette is the fifth largest city in Louisiana, with a population of just over 120,000. Originally named Vermilionville, the city was renamed in 1884 after the legendary French hero Marquis de Lafayette, who helped the United States achieve its independence during the Revolutionary War. Enjoying a quiet agricultural existence for most of its life, today Lafayette is regarded by many as the center of Cajun culture in the United States.
The Cajun culture stems from an ethnic group known as the Acadians. Exiles from French Canada, the Acadians settled in southern Louisiana during the French and Indian War (or the Seven Years War) in the mid 18th century. Leaving New Brunswick and other eastern Canadian provinces once the British gained control of Canada, the Cajuns, as they are now called, have exerted a significant presence in Louisiana’s culture and heritage ever since. Best known to the rest of the country for their distinctive cuisine, which is defined as a hearty, spicy, and rural meal, Cajun culture encompasses much more than a great cuisine option. It also includes a distinctive Cajun French language, and a specific blend of music highlighted by the fiddle and accordion. One doesn’t have to look far in Lafayette to experience any of this great culture and history, as it can be found in bars, restaurants, and concert halls on every corner of the city.
If you are looking for Cajun history, Lafayette is a treasure trove of physical reminders of their distinct past. The Acadian Village is a 19th century Cajun village, with a combination of original and rebuilt Cajun homes and shops where one can get a real feel for the culture of Lafayette when it was still young. There is also a Native American museum on the site, which highlights the blend of native and immigrant cultures that came together in Lafayette. Vermilionville goes back even farther, containing a recreated 18th century village on over 23 acres. With costumed staff, workshops displaying 18th century technologies and methods, and authentic cuisine from the area, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place in the country to find Cajun culture at its roots. The stunning Cathedral of St John in Lafayette is also a testament to the traditionally Catholic Acadians.
Whether you love the fiddle, can’t wait to eat food so hot your sinuses are clear for days, or just simply want to experience old-fashioned southern comfort and charm, there is no place in the country like Lafayette. Contact Lafayette auto shipping companies today to make the move to the Cajun capital of the world.