In 1779, a group of about 500 Spanish settlers moved from Malaga, Spain to the banks of Bayou Teche and founded the city of "Nueva Iberia," named after their Iberian Peninsula. It is the only town still in existence in Louisiana to be founded by Spaniards during the Colonial Era. Local French-Canadian "Acadians," or "Cajuns" as they have come to be known, who were exiled from their homeland of Nova Scotia in the late 1700s, preferred to call the city "Nouvelle Ibérie." Following the Louisiana Purchase, English settlers adopted "New Town' as the city's name. Settled by compromise, even our name "New Iberia" is reflective of the coming together of cultures.Each group brought from their European homelands distinct languages, cultures and rules of law that governed the city. Native Americans and African Americans also contributed to the melding of these cultures to create a distinct flavor not found anywhere else in the world. Be sure to see the trilingual plaques on buildings throughout the Main Street area for more information on New Iberia's History.
Comments 0 comments