Our History

French Settlement (La Cote Francaise) is situated 18 miles southeast of Denham Springs in the southwestern part of Livingston Parish, specifically in T8S-R4E and T9S-94E of the Greensburg Land District.  Colyell Bay divides the village limits of French Settlement and Port Vincent. 

Louisiana Highway 16 is the main thoroughfare in the settlement, while Louisiana highway 42 connects French Settlement with Frost and Louisiana Highway 444 connects the village with Killian.

The settlement is included in the triangle of land known as French Louisiana.  It's location is on a ridge lying parallel with the Amite Rive, which is one mile more or less due west of the village limits with a beautiful cypress, red maple, and tupelo gum swamp land in between.  The soils are somewhat acid, but considered good for farming.  The elevation varies from 5 to 20 feet above sea level. 

French Settlement was settled via the Amite River, which for many years, was the chief means of travel by way of the lakes to New Orleans.  Iberville's famous Mississippi River expedition of 1699 took a return trip through Bayou Manchac (the back way to the Amite River), then descended the River in an eastward direction to Lake Maurepas,  Pass Manchac, Lake Ponchartrain, and the Rigolets to the Mississippi Sound.  Thus we find that the French viewed "La Cote Francaise" at a very early date. 

The next available historical data pertaining to this area is a record of English trading posts set along the Amite River before 1776 to trade with the French and Spanish settlers.  English land grants given in West Florida for the year 1772 indicate through description that the location given was the French Settlement area.  This same land under Spanish control in 1804 was known to have been in the district of Galvestown.

While later events included becoming a part of the West Florida Republic and later the United States, the village was already settled and the people were enjoying their self-sufficient way of life.  As the community developed, the most prominent resource was the tide water cycles.  Saw mills were in full operation for many years due to the large virgin cypress groves in the swamp. 

There was a saw mill on the Amite River in 1804.  The names of some of the later mills included "Hardtimes,"  "Goodtimes,"  "Shoefly No. 1 and 2,"  "Bowman," and "Opdenweyer." 

The first settlers called French Settlement "La Cote Francaise."  "La Cote" means a hill and to these newcomers, this feature alone made it an ideal place to settle.  The early Creole land claimants were Alexander Brignac, 1809; Antonio Didell, 1810; Louis Loubill, 1808; Matthew Brignac, 1809; Avery Breed, 1810; Christopher Nordan, Paul Guitreau, 1808; John L. Picou, 1810; H. Villar, 1800; Joseph Lambert, 1808; Gregory Brown, 1809; J. B. Vicknair, 1809; Joseph Herd, 1802; Jacob Vauser, 1802; Alex Vrina, 1808; and Louis Brignac.

From 1810 to the 1870s, there came other settlers by the name of Herbert, Salassi, Millet, Keller, Mayer, Berthelot, Durand, Bowman, Borns, Matherne, Perriloux, Schexnaider.  The division of the land along the Amite River and road through French Settlement seems to follow a plan used in Northwestern France.  The land was divided into long narrow strips with so many arpents most often wide and long, thus creating a line-type village.  This type survey gave each land owner some river frontage.

A predominately Catholic community since its beginning, French Settlement has records at St. Joseph's Catholic Church dating from 1839 and written in French for many years.  Hubert Aydell donated property for the Roman Catholic Church on October 16, 1876 in Section 39 T9S-R4E.  A resident priest has been on the church field since 1889. 

After this date, many social functions were centered around the church, and the fairs which were held every year in the old church hall always provided jovial entertainment and "La Cote Francaise."  In 1974, it was sold and moved away.

Joseph Salassi was the first postmaster and a post office was established in the settlement on January 25, 1856.  It was discontinued several times, only to be re-established each time, and the post office exists today.

Early roads followed the river, one of them made of logs which followed the north bank to Head of Island Ferry.  The French Settlement to Springfield  Road appears on an 1853 state land map, but most of the traveling was via the waterways until 1910. 

Much economic activity was centered around the old warehouse and port sight on the south end of the village at the river's edge in Section 37, T9S-R4E when the commercial boat traffic on the Amite River was in full swing.  Some of the names of the boats and schooners in operation during this time were the Louise, Daisy, Alice, Jessie, Elizabeth Ann, and Morning Light.  The United States mail boats were the Minnie B. and Arthur.

Farming has always meant a lot to the economy of the area.  In 1880 the main crops were cotton, corn, rice, and sugarcane.  Sweet potatoes became the main crop in later years, especially near Colyell Bay where they still grow well and produce plenty for the market.  The 1920s ushered in truck farming, especially the strawberry crops.  Ponchatoula became the main market place for berries.

Today most of the working age residents commute to the large industrial plants located on the Mississippi River.  There are factories and many other types of work available for both men and women in the Gonzales and Baton Rouge areas. 

According to the 1850 census, there were two school teachers residing in French Settlement; Louis Kischlegan, age 44, born in France, was listed with the Adam Lobell family and Peter Mortee, age 42, born in France, was living with the Paul Getro family.  According to Richard Lobell, the first school was a one-room school house.

The North and South schools of French Settlement had 10 trustees for the years 1898-1905.  On July 7, 1900, Bowman School was established at the forks of the Port Vincent and Centerville Roads.  Central school was established on January 4, 1902, and the Perrilou School was established July 6, 1909.

On January 7, 1899, a company charter was obtained for "French Settlement High School, Ltd." This stock company sold shares at $10.00 each to raise funds to build a high school building.

French Settlement was incorporated on January 27, 1965 by a proclamation of Governor John J. McKeithen.  The first officials who were  appointed were Schofield Lobell, Sr., Mayor; C. F. Meadours, Leroy Salassi, and Earl Berthelot, Aldermen; and O. M. Lambert, Marshall.

The first elected officials (June 13, 1967) were John Raymond Schexnayder, Mayor; Felix V. Brignac, Jr., Ruben L. Keller, and Leon Roy Murphy, Aldermen; and O. M. Lambert, Marshall.

The population of French Settlement which was 670 in 1970, now enjoys some of the conveniences of an incorporated municipality.  The volunteer fire department, King George Recreation Center, parish branch library, post office, justice of the peace, and constable, village government, American Legion Post 372 and its auxiliary, the school, French Settlement First Baptist Church, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church all stand ready to help and be of service to the people. 

The Free State:  A History and Place-Names Study of Livingston Parish.  Livingston Parish American Revolution Bicentennial Committee: 1976.