HISTORY OF NEW ROADS In 1699 the French explorer Iberville discovered a point on the Mississippi River where the river doubled back on itself. Time and high waters eventually allowed the river to change its course, taking the short cut and avoiding the 22-mile curve. The resulting oxbow lake was called “Fausse Riviere” in French, now False River. The settlement established at the cut off, near the landing of the New Roads-St. Francisville Ferry was called Pointe Coupee. Later the entire parish became Pointe Coupee parish. The City of New Roads is actually situated at the end of the new road or “chemin neuf” that connected the Pointe Coupee settlement with False River. In 1822 a free woman of color named Catherine Depau, nicknamed “la fille Gougis”, developed the original six-block area of town, now bounded by False River, New Roads, St. Mary and Second Streets. Street signs in this area bear original names in French, as well as their current names. Eventually taking the name of New Roads, the town became the seat of parish government in 1847, and began to thrive. One of the earliest settlements in the entire Louisiana Purchase, was Pointe Coupee it attracted planters to farm its rich fertile delta soil. At first indigo and tobacco were the primary crops. Now sugar cane, pecans, cotton, soybeans, rice and peaches are grown here. Some of the nation’s largest sugar plantations are still thriving on land surrounding the City of New Roads. Settlers built homes ranging from stately plantation “great houses” to modest cottages. Fortunately the majority of these homes are still standing today making Pointe Coupee Parish and New Roads the largest surviving pocket of Creole architecture in Louisiana today. Many structures dotting False River date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. 1699 French Canadians led by Sieur d”Iberville explore area of present-day Pointe Coupee and cut across 22 mile-long bend that would become False River. 1722 Mississippi River completes its natural, geological cut-off process leaving behind an oxbow lake that the French christened Fausse Riviere (False River) 1726 First census listing French settlers in present confines of Pointe Coupee parish 1729 French Military poste of Pointe Coupee established on Mississippi River 1731 First census listing Africans in present confines of Pointe Couepe parish 1751 Simon Calais is reported to be the first permanent settler on False River 1776 Spanish authorities open a Camino Real (Royal Road) linking False River with the Mississippi; local Frenchman call this the Chem Neuf (New Road) from which the city would derive its name. 1822 Catherine Depau, nicknamed la Fille Gougis (Gougis’ daughter), a free woman of color, opens a six-block subdivision of the front of her False River plantation, bordered on the east by the New Road (present-day New Roads Street). This is the area presently bounded by False River, Second Street, St. Mary Street and New Roads Street. Present-day signs in this area bear both current and original French names. The village was first known in the singular as New Road. 1823 First church in New Roads, the original St. Mary’s of False River, is dedicated. Village of New Roads sometimes alternately called St. Mary during antebellum period. 1824 Will of Julien Poydras provides for establishment of schools and dowries for indigent brides of Pointe Coupee. 1847 Seat of parish government moved from the Mississippi River to New Roads. 1848 First courthouse at New Roads completed. 1858 First post office opened as False River, Louisiana, only to be closed in 1861. 1869 St. Paul Methodist Church leased on lot on False River as the first-known Protestant and first-known African-American church to open in New Roads. 1875 Town of New Roads incorporated under Act 34 of Louisiana Legislature, though this incorporation fell into disuse during the 1880s. 1878 Post office reopens, this time as St. Mary’s, Louisiana with local merchant and financier Joseph Richey as postmaster. 1879 Post office renamed New Roads, Louisiana. 1881 Town’s first known Mardi Gras ball held. 1884 Town’s first sidewalk, made of wood, laid on south-side of East Main Street in part of present-day 100 block. 1886 Joseph Richey provides town’s first fire engine house. 1890 Dr. Charles Menville installs town’s first telephone line between his home and office. Town’s first oil street lamps installed on Main Street. 1894 Town of New Roads incorporated under present charter, Harry Demouy is first mayor. Comprehensive laying of wooden sidewalks and erection of oil street lamps begun. 1890 Name of town oftentimes arbitrarily spelled New Rhodes in local newspapers, despite official spelling of corporation and post office. 1899 Texas and Pacific Railroad build a branch line through New Roads. Bank of New Roads, first bank in Pointe Coupee parish, opens. 1902 Original (front) portion of present courthouse built. 1905 First waterlines laid. 1906 Town power plants built, providing electricity and water. This is present-day City Police Station. First local telephone company, False River Telephone, commences operations. 1910 Adrienne Lawrence Library, forerunner of Pointe Coupee parish Library system opens. 1914 First known motion pictures shown in New Roads. 1914-1918 Town’s first cement sidewalks laid on Main Street. 1915 Town of New Roads passes its first vehicle ordinances. 1920 Main Street, hitherto dirt, was graveled. 1922 James “Jimmy” Boudreaux establishes the Carnival Club parade, which survives as the state’s oldest Mardi Gras parade after Rex, Proteus and Zulu. 1931 Main Street (as far as east as Pennsylvania Avenue, New Roads Street and Parent Streets paved) 1932 Mothers Culture Club establishes tradition of town’s Mardi Gras afternoon parade, sponsored since 1941 by New Roads Lions Club. 1936 Comprehensive street paving inaugurated. 1939 Parish’s first hospital, Mosley Clinic, opens. City sewerage system inaugurated. 1965 A court order decrees the beginning of a gradual integration of all town, and parish public schools. 1971 Hospital Road (LA Hwy. 3131) opened and gradually becomes town’s second business district. 1978 Trina Olinde Scott becomes New Roads’ first female mayor. 1989 Sylvester Muckelroy becomes New Roads first African American mayor. 1994 City of New Roads’ celebrates the centennial of its present charter. 2002 Population of City of New Roads peaks at 5,304. 2002 Largest crowd in Pointe Coupee history, estimated as high as 75,000 attends New Roads’ Mardi Gras parades. 2004 City of New Roads observes 110th anniversary of its present charter. 2007 Tommy Nelson becomes New Roads youngest and second African American mayor.