Editing Grand Coteau, Louisiana (section)

== History ==
The first known land grant by the colonial [[Louisiana]] government was in 1776 in the area referred to as ''Buzzard Prairie''.<ref>[http://www.thecajuns.com/oldnew.htm www.thecajuns.com "Louisiana History: Old and New Place Names"]</ref> In the early 19th century, Buzzard Prairie served as a stopping point for travelers between [[Washington, Louisiana]], and [[St. Martinville, Louisiana]]. The thriving community had two [[Bakery|bakeries]], a [[Shoemaking|cobbler]], a [[millinery]], a [[blacksmith]] shop, a [[post office]], six bars, and nine brothels.

In 1821, Mrs. Charles Smith, widow of a wealthy planter in [[Opelousas]], donated land, a two-story building, and funds to pay for the travel expenses of two nuns from [[St. Charles, Missouri]]. The two nuns of the [[Religious of the Sacred Heart]] founded a [[convent]] and a school that became the [[Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau|Academy of the Sacred Heart]].<ref name="www.cajuntravel.com GRAND COTEAU">[http://www.cajuntravel.com/towns/grand_coteau.cfm www.cajuntravel.com "GRAND COTEAU"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006131515/http://www.cajuntravel.com/towns/grand_coteau.cfm |date=October 6, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title=Grand Coteau Historical Marker
|author=Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
|url=http://www.stoppingpoints.com/louisiana/St.-Landry/Grand+Coteau/
|access-date=August 9, 2009
}}</ref>

The Jesuits arrived in 1837 when [[St. Charles College (Louisiana)|St. Charles College]] was built. The settlement that grew up around the schools was called '''St. Charles Town''' before it was changed to Grand Coteau. Grand Coteau is derived from the French meaning "great hill."<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n140 141]}}</ref>

On October 3, 1863, the '''Campaign of the Teche''' was commenced. The [[99th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment|Ninety-ninth infantry regiment of Illinois]] was in several skirmishes, and a detachment of the regiment, Captain A. C. Mathews commanding, was engaged in the [[Battle of Bayou Bourbeux|Battle of Grand Coteau]]. On November 9, they moved on to [[New Orleans]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000823081309/http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/cw99-agr.html www.illinoiscivilwar.org "HISTORY OF NINETY-NINTH INFANTRY"]}}</ref> Although thousands of Union troops were encamped in the fields surrounding the Academy during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the school was not touched.<ref name="www.cajuntravel.com GRAND COTEAU"/>

In the 19th century the population of Grand Coteau grew with [[African-Americans]], [[free people of color]], [[Acadians]], [[Louisiana Creole people|Creole]]s, [[French people|French]], [[Irish people|Irish]], and [[German people|German]] immigrants. The town retains examples of [[Victorian architecture]] from its mid-19th-century boom.

Grand Coteau was home to Sacred Heart Colored School and St. Peter Claver High School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/local/2014/12/31/website-spotlights-black-education-grand-coteau/21117281/|title = Website spotlights black education in Grand Coteau}}</ref>