Cities & Towns
The cities and towns of Vermilion are rich with culture and tradition. They are great places to live, play and do business.
Abbeville
Abbeville is a friendly town with wonderful neighborhoods, outstanding schools, many churches and a downtown business district that has been designated a National Register of Historic Places District. Abbeville is ideally located and is the county seat for the Parish of Vermilion. Abbeville was founded in 1843 and named after the founder’s hometown in France. Here you’ll find Cajun and traditional food in the area’s 22-plus restaurants. From oyster bars to poboys the cuisine excels. Take an after lunch stroll downtown and visit the town square plus many shops featuring local artwork, antique or new furnishings and stylish clothing. Don’t miss the local history museums, the Depot and Abbeville Cultural and Historical Alliance Center. There, you can find interesting facts about our parish history. If you like, there are local guided walking tours available in French and English for groups of ten or more. There’s also Steen’s Cane Syrup Mill, Abbey Theatre, 100-year-old St. Mary Magdalen Church and adjacent cemetery and the Courthouse.
Delcambre
Located 12 miles east of Abbeville on LA Hwy 14, Delcambre is divided between the parishes of Vermilion and Iberia. Many early parish settlers made their homes here and created a strong agricultural base from which many other industries grew. Today, the effect of the shrimping industry is evident. This small town along the Bayou Carlin traditionally blesses its fishing fleet each year during the colorful Delcambre Shrimp Festival. Each December, decorated boats parade down Bayou Carlin at the Annual Delcambre Boat Parade to make a colorful, lighted display on the water. In between the yearly festival dates, passersby can see the large dipped nets hanging from poles that are used in trolling, especially near one of the many metal expansion bridges that cross our rivers. Walk along the wharf and you can get a feel for what life on a shrimp boat is like.
Erath
Erath, Louisiana, is a residential community of just over 2,000 residents located about 7 miles east of Abbeville and 26 miles south of Lafayette, Louisiana.Founded in 1899, Erath is a small community rich in Acadian culture. Visit us during our Fourth of July Celebration, where the town rallies to celebrate the birth of our nation. Our celebration is one of the biggest and best in the area, and was featured on Good Morning, America as “one of most interesting events in America.” Visit the Acadian Museum and immerse yourself in the history of the dispersed Acadians from Nova Scotia that localized the area. You can expect to hear music from Swamp Pop and French to current hits performed by local and regional acts including local legend D. L. Menard.
Gueydan
Established in the late 1800’s on “worthless, marshy” lands, Gueydan has become internationally known for waterfowl. Locally owned clubs provide guides and lodging for a memorable hunt on this major north/south flyway while the town, itself, is a bird sanctuary. Northwest of town, tour Stansel Rice Company, a working gourmet popcorn rice mill with crawfish ponds. The Gueydan Museum, located in the old Gueydan Bank building c. 1902, houses a permanent collection of rare photographs and artifacts from Gueydan’s early days as well as changing art exhibits. If you like biking, a nice trail is Hwy 91 south then continue south and take in the sights of nature. Fox, purple gallinule, least bittern herons and little gray herons can all be sighted here.
Kaplan
Located in the heart of Vermilion Parish on the lush lowlands of Southwest Louisiana, the city and people of Kaplan characterize the best qualities of both a proud Acadian heritage and a progressive-minded community of nearly 5,000 residents. Kaplan was named for its founder, Mr. Abrom Kaplan, and was incorporated just after the turn of the century in October 1902. The language spoken by the people was French because most of them were descendants of the Acadians. The first settlers raised corn, cotton, sugar cane, cattle, peas, watermelon and rice. The rice was planted in low places and farmers depended on rain for irrigation. Today it is a pivotal location guiding people east and west on LA 14, north to the interstate on LA 35 and south to the Gulf of Mexico along the same route. The wide variety of activity and attractions found in this area have made Kaplan one of South Louisiana’s most unique cities. Being the “gateway to the wetlands,” Kaplan offers excellent hunting, fishing, crabbing and shrimping only minutes away for lovers of the outdoors.
701 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548
Phone: 337-643-8602
Fax: 643-8604
info@kaplanla.com
www.kaplanla.com
Maurice
As the “Gateway to Vermilion Parish” Maurice welcomes travelers leaving Lafayette on US Highway 167. Originally occupied by the Attakapas Indians, this small community is named after Maurice Villien, a native of Savoie, France. Established in 1870, the Village of Maurice was not incorporated until December 1911. Maurice is home to several seafood restaurants, Hebert’s Specialty Meat Market that allows you to bring Cajun cooking home to your kitchen, antiques, designer egg purses and other one-of-a-kind creations of Vivian Alexander and City Bar, “a world famous” watering hole.
Maurice is undergoing a huge resurgence in residential development, especially on the southern side of the community. Planned traditional neighborhood developments are being built to accommodate the market demand for the area.