Leeville, Louisiana Explained

Official Name:Leeville
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:Louisiana#USA
Pushpin Label:Leeville
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Name1:Louisiana
Subdivision Name2:Lafourche Parish
Established Date:1893
Elevation Ft:870
Elevation M:265
Population Total:Less than 100
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Coordinates:29.2497°N -90.2117°W
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Area Code:985

Leeville is an unincorporated community located in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.[1]

History

The city was founded in November, 1893 by survivors of the Chenier Caminada Hurricane. The city was first named Orange City but was changed to Leevile in honor of Pierre Charles Lee and his wife Rosalie Albarado. In 1938, Leeville became the oil producing capital of Lafourche Parish with 297 producing wells.[2]

According to studies by the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, around 70% of the town's surrounding wetlands have vanished since 1932, which means by 2030 the town could disappear from maps. Five major hurricanes in seven years and the 2010 BP oil spill have been the reason for the high decrease for the number of residents. Scientists estimated that 1 more storm would be the reason for the town's demise and abandonment.[3]

In 2022, a project was started to connect Leeville Bridge to Golden Meadow. The project costs $135 million.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Geographic Names Information System . 2022-12-15 . edits.nationalmap.gov.
  2. Web site: Leeville Historical Marker . 2022-12-15 . www.hmdb.org . en.
  3. Web site: TODAY . Rick Jervis, USA . Leeville: A look at the real world beyond the levees . 2022-12-15 . USA TODAY . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2022-06-24 . Second phase of $135 million project connecting Leeville Bridge to Golden Meadow begins . 2022-12-15 . WGNO . en-US.