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History

Ascension Parish combines a jambalaya of cultures and typical influences of southern Louisiana and enjoys a special place in the heart of Plantation Country, along the Mississippi River.

First known as the Acadian coast, Ascension Parish was created by the territorial government in 1807. It was originally settled by the Houma Tribe, then by Acadian refugees who migrated from areas of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In the early 19th century, plantations produced one of the nation’s most important staples – sugar. Today, sugarcane is still harvested along with many other forms of agriculture, but the petrochemical industry and tourism have taken up significant portions of the Ascension Parish economy. Thanks to these influences and Ascension’s strategic position along the I-10 corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the parish has grown from a population of just 2,219 in 1810 to nearly 105,000 today. A 2009 estimate ranked Ascension as Louisiana’s fastest-growing parish for the fourth straight year and as the 75th fastest-growing parish or county in the nation.

There are three major incorporated areas in Ascension Parish: Donaldsonville, Gonzales and Sorrento. Donaldsonville was settled in 1806 and served as the state capitol from 1830 to 1831. It remains today as the parish seat. Gonzales, known as the “Jambalaya Capital of the World,” was formally established as a village 100 years after Donaldsonville was settled and became a city in 1977. Sorrento, just south of Gonzales, was originally known as Conway and was renamed after the city of Sorrento, Italy in 1909. The community became classified as a town in 1962.

Numerous other communities also make up Ascension Parish including: Geismar, Galvez, Dutchtown, Darrow, Prairieville and St. Amant.


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