Gonzales, LA

Known as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World", it is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival, which was first held in 1968. Stephen "Steve" F. Juneau came up with the idea for the Jambalaya Festival and served as the first president of the Jambalaya Festival Association.

Early settlers of the area which would eventually become Gonzales were, for the most part, of Spanish and French ancestry, settling amidst the Houma Indians who lived in the area. By 1851, the small settlement had only ten residents. A school was established in 1855 by Adlard Gautreaux for the children in the area. By 1886, the settlement had grown to where the citizens of the community elected "Big" José Gonzáles as their sheriff. Joseph's son, "Tee-Joe" Gonzales, opened a general store and post office in May 1887. The post office was known as the Gonzales Post Office. A few years later the Railroad Commission ordered the local railroad to change the name of the community from Edenborn to Gonzales to match the post office name.


Read more about Gonzales on Wikipedia.