****SORRY, THIS BOOK IS SOLD OUT****
This 485-page volume, published in 1983 by the Vermilion Historical Society, consists largely of family stories contributed by people having roots in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, an area in southwest Louisiana that developed as a mixture of French Acadians, American Protestants, Jews, Italians, African Americans and other ethnic groups. The book also contains many topics of interest, old photographs, histories of localities, homesteads and buildings of note, tributes to outstanding individuals of the past, and other historical information, and is thoroughly indexed. The book has been widely praised by its readers and users. The first printing was completely sold out, and the second printing is nearing exhaustion.
Book Review
From the Attakapas Gazette, vol. XIX, no. 2 (Summer 1984), p. 95:
history of vermilion parish, louisiana. (Abbeville, La.: Vermilion Historical Society, 1983. 485 pp. Foreword, overview, index. Cloth.
This book is probably one of the best examples in recent memory of the determination of a group of people to pull together the story of their parish and pursue the publishing project to fruition. As Una Evans, chairman of the Vermilion Historical Society’s Publications Committee noted, the History of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, was several years aborning. There was the usual array of problems, foremost among which was the financial, that led to seemingly endless frustration; nevertheless, the Society persevered and today it can proudly offer one of the finer parish histories to be produced in recent years.
The volume, a handsome book, well manufactured with pleasing format, is full of information concerning the origins of Vermilion Parish, the development of the parish’s communities, and the stories of the men and women who dedicated their lives to making Vermilion a home for their descendants.
In addition to the history provided, the book is a treasure trove of genealogical information. Anyone interested in family histories will be delighted with this publication, particularly the excellent index which guides the reader to the information desired.
The book is dedicated to the late Dennis Gibson, former secretary-treasurer of the Attakapas Historical Association and a founding member of the Vermilion Historical Society. Dennis would be proud of this book.
Glenn R. Conrad
Director, Center for Louisiana Studies USL.