Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that holds great meaning for Southern Louisiana, where the Acadians settled.
Evangeline is a young woman said to have been separated from her mortally wounded betrothed during their expulsion by the British from their territory in eastern Canada.
The 1847 epic poem Evangeline raised global awareness of the 1755 expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia and their subsequent arrival in Louisiana.
According to the story, Evangeline later met her betrothed again in St. Martin Parish, but he had already committed to a new love. Evangeline never recovered from the shock of both finding and losing him again.
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site honors the poet and explores the diversity of the peoples along the famed Bayou Teche—Acadians and Creoles, Indians and Africans, Frenchmen and Spaniards, enslaved people and free people of color—all of whom contributed to the historical tradition of cultural diversity in the Teche region. French became the predominant language, and it remains very strong in the region today.
The park includes a small museum. With information about Olivier Plantation and historic displays of Christian crosses and prayer beads, the displays offer an excellent introduction to the rest of the park.
A reproduction Acadian Farmstead, Maison Olivier, ca. 1815, shows the influence of the Creole and Acadian residents of the area. It is situated along the bank of Bayou Teche. It illustrates what a single-family farm would have included, including the home, an outdoor kitchen, slave quarters, and a barn.
Egrets are enjoying the rain-soaked land and the welcoming sunshine as I walk back to the main building.
Different rooms display what life might have been like 200 years ago.
Remembering the Acadians and Evangeline makes a visit here well worth your time along the bayou.
And once you are here, take your time to reflect on how the Acadians came to Southern Louisiana, and heartbroken Evangeline.
For more information about the park, click here. For more information on Iberia Parish, click here.
