St James Parish Louisiana Welcome Sign
Posted by: 
misfitt
N 30° 01.558 W 090° 41.737
15R E 722224 N 3323899
St James Parish is unique as it is split and loacted on both sides of the Mississippi River. It is somewhat of a remote parish but, definitely not without little interest.
Waymark Code: WM1N5G
Location: Louisiana, United States
Date Posted: 06/06/2007
Views: 107
St. James Parish, located midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on the mighty Mississippi River and divided in two by the Father of Waters, is one of the original nineteen parishes created on March 31, 1807, by an act of the Orleans Territorial Legislature.
Prior to its creation as a civil parish, St. James Parish formed a part of the "Comte' d'Acadie" or Country of Acadia, which was composed of the old ecclesiastical parishes of the St. James and "The Ascension," commonly referred to then as the First and Second Acadian Coasts.
St. James is the only cultivation site in the world for Perique tobacco, introduced by an Acadian exile, Pierre Chenet, whose nickname was "Perique." It has been produced by his descendants for nearly two centuries (now covering only a 300 acre (1.2 km²) tract) and is in great demand by large tobacco companies.
There one very unique festival held here at Christmas time. The Christmas Bonfires on the Levee is one of the simplest and yet most spectacular sights, you can experience during the holiday season. Nothing comes close to the Christmas Eve Bonfires on the Levee. On Christmas Eve, thousands of spectators converge along a stretch of River Road between Lutcher, LA and Gramercy, LA to enjoy the spectacle of dozens of burning bonfires set against the backdrop of the Mississippi River. For more info go to: (
visit link)
or some other Web site on the subject.