The parish has a rich history begun by people of many different descents--French, Spanish, English, Scotch-Irish, German, Italian, and Jewish--coming together in mutual respect and peace, but not without the ups and downs that come with the human condition. The books takes the reader on six tours through Avoyelles, from the towns of Marksville and Cocoville to Lake Pearl and Cottonport, giving the reader a penned as well as pictorial background of life in the parish as well as the culture that still thrives within them. Members of the executive board of La Commission des Avoyelles have combed the sections of their parish to bring forth the written and oral history and every old picture that could be found. Brought together in a masterful collection, the pieces document Avoyelles parish, its beginning, its development, and its present.

French Creoles from Pointe Coupee and French Canadians from Quebec arrived in Avoyelles in the 1780s and many received land grants along Old River at Hydropolis. After the Louisiana Purchase they were joined by Americans moving west and more direct French immigrants. Here on the flood safe prairie, these settlers established the first cemetery, the first school, the first bank as the area became a nucleus of Avoyelles. These early settlers along with the Native Americans who already called the area home, give the Cocoville-Hydropolis area a rich place in Louisiana history. The settlers and families of Cocoville have made their mark on local, state and even national history.

French Creoles from Pointe Coupee and French Canadians from Quebec arrived in Avoyelles in the 1780s and many received land grants along Old River at Hydropolis. After the Louisiana Purchase they were joined by Americans moving west and more direct French immigrants. Here on the flood safe prairie, these settlers established the first cemetery, the first school, the first bank as the area became a nucleus of Avoyelles.These early settlers along with the Native Americans who already called the area home, give the Cocoville-Hydropolis area a rich place in Louisiana history. The settlers and families of Cocoville have made their mark on local, state and even national history.Family names include:BAILLIOBORDELONCHATELAINCOCODEGENERESDELAVALLADEDEMOUYDUCOTEFRANCISCOGOUXGUILLEBERTHELMINGERHUDSONJOFFRIONLACOURLEHMANLEMOINEMAILLETMARYEMAYEUXMONCLANECKNORMANDOLIVIERPRATTERRABALAISREBOUCHEREYNAUDST ROMAINTASSINVOINCHE

Vol. I of three part series on Cocoville-Hydropolis. This first volume is a a history of the Cocoville and Hydropolis community of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, sorted by year. (The second volume is devoted to the early settlers and families of the area, sorted by surname. The third volume, not yet released, is the story of Dominique Coco and his family)

This History of Cocoville, Louisiana. Originally known as Hydropolis, an early and still active center of activity in Avoyelles Parish CENTURIES Colonial ................1700s Antebellum/Reconstruction . .1800s 20th Century . . . . . . . . . . . . .1900s The new Milenium . . . . . . . .2000s CONFLICTS American Revolution . . . . . . .1777 Mexican War General . . . . . .1846 Civil War memories . . . . . . .1860s The soldiers of Cocoville . . . .1861 A Confederate Love Storey . .1864 WWI soldiers from Cocoville .1918 WWII and Modern conflicts . .1941 EDUCATION The First School.................1831 DeGeneres School . . . . . . . . .1842 Presentation School . . . . . . . .1855 Hydropolis School . . . . . . . .1905 Charter School, Early Center .2000 FAITH The Avoyelles Church....1784 St. John the Baptist . . . . . . . .1869 St. Paul Lutheran. Lutherville .1898 Assembly of God . . . . . . . . .1980s FINANCIAL Ante-bellum - Bank . . . . . . .1840s Post Office established . . . . . .1905 The Cool Spot . . . . . . . . . . .1940s Foundry, & Potota Kilm . . . .1950s Growth and a new highway . .1960 Casino changes the landscape .1994 ThrivingCocoville.........2000 MILESTONES & MEMORIES Memories of early 1900s . . .1900s The Cocoville Cow lawsuit . .1917 A grave with a window .....1925 A miracle in Cocoville . . . . . .1927 OLD HOMES Antebellum Homes . . . . . . . .1840s Victorian . . . . . . . . . . . .Late 1800s Early 1900s Homes . . .Early 1900s PEOPLE Tunica, Biloxi, Ofo, Avoyel . . . . . .1st Families The settlers and families . . . . . . . Arranged alphabetically St Paul Lutheran grave list . . .1898 TREASURES Abundent Artifacts . . . .1st families Pierre LaFitte gold..........1810s Civil War artifacts . . . . . . . . .1861 Coco Treasure found . . . . . . .1884 The Pearl of Louisiana . . . . . .1994 TunicaTreasure ..........2000s The draw of Education . . . . . .2000 TRANSPORTATION OldRiver....................1780s Bridge over the Coulee . . . . .1871 The first paved highway . . . . .1836 Railroad comes through . . . . .1895 Airport .................1951 A new highway . . . . . . . . . . .1960 Highway One rerouted . . . . . .1973 The five lane .............2014 TRAGEDIES Murder of Aurelien Coco . . . .1851 Murder of Laurent Normand .1860 Guillebert' Ghost . . . . . . . . .1880s The Tornado . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1934

Originally published in 1943, this comprehensive volume chronicles the history of Avoyelles Parish, from the first Indian settlers to the time of the book's publication. Saucier provides in-depth information about the organization of the parish as it grew out of the Avoyelles Post during the French regime. Throughout the book, Saucier explores the many hardships endured by the first settlers, such as the health and sanitation, relief and welfare organizations, and numerous disasters-most notably the Red River flood of 1927. Saucier also provides the history of institutions, such as churches, education, banking, and journalism, that would serve as a foundation for its future population.