A few months ago, we presented two stories about the people behind the names of Lafayette Parish's schools. The other day, those stories came back to mind.

I was riding with someone who asked, "What does 'Rue Du Belier' mean?" That got me thinking: How did the names of Lafayette's streets come to be? Who are the people behind the roads names? That led me down the rabbit hole of Lafayette history. Here, we present the histories behind 18 local street names. If there are any we missed, or if you know the stories behind any other local street names, send them to me at ian@kpel965.com.

The History Behind Lafayette's Street Names

We drive them on a daily basis. Some are smoother than others. Some we use more frequently than others. Some randomly start, end, and/or change names. They're the streets of Lafayette. The names behind many of these streets have interesting histories. We take a look at where those names come from and the impact their namesakes have had on the city and the parish.

Seven Forgotten Facts About Lafayette

The area now known as downtown Lafayette was first settled 200 years ago. While the street grid of that original settlement is the same as it was then, the rest of the city has grown and changed exponentially. Let's take a look at some of those changes by taking a look at some of the forgotten facts in Lafayette history.

Lafayette: 1981 vs. 2021

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