Evangeline Parish is located near the center of Louisiana, between the prairies and wetlands of the south and the hills and piney woods of the north. Culturally, too, it embraces both the French south and the English north. Evangeline is relatively young among the parishes of Louisiana, having been carved from the western portion of St. Landry in 1910. It is named for Evangeline, the heroine of Longfellow's epic poem about the exile of the Acadians, many of whose descendants reside in Louisiana. Today, the people of Evangeline Parish remain close to the land, earning their livelihood from agriculture and forestry or small businesses. From outdoor recreation at Chicot State Park to the Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou and Basile, and all the festivals in between, they know how to pass a good time. Jane F. Vidrine is a lifelong resident of Belair Cove, where her family has lived for generations. Jean S. Kiesel is a librarian and historian who previously authored Images of America: Lafayette. For more than 25 years, both authors have worked in the Special Collections Department of the Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.