New Iberia, Louisiana (An ancient roman statue,Tommy Lee Jones,and a Buddhist shrine)

SPIREINTHEHOLE! · #1 Posted **Apr 30, 2009, 7:46 AM**

Since I couldn't find a post on my hometown, New Iberia, I've decided to create one. All of these photos are credited.

Information below provided by: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Iberia,_Louisiana

New Iberia (French: La Nouvelle-Ibérie, Spanish: Nueva Iberia) is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States,[1] 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia, Louisiana; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747. The population was 32,623 at the 2000 census.New Iberia is the principal city of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Iberia Parish.

New Iberia was founded on the banks of Bayou Teche in 1779 by a group of Spaniards from Malaga. It is the only extant town in Louisiana to be founded by Spaniards during the colonial era. The Spanish pioneers called their town "Nueva Iberia" in consideration of their homeland. Their French neighbors along the Teche referred to the town as "Nouvelle Ibérie." Then, after the Louisiana Purchase, incoming English-speakers dubbed the site "New Town." In 1814, the federal government opened a post office here and it officially became known as "New Iberia."

Information below provided by: Glenn R. Conrad http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/historyarticle.html

An event of major importance to New Iberia and all of Southwest Louisiana was the discovery of oil and natural gas that led to the development of the present-day oil industry that plays such a major role in the state's economy. Oil exploration near New Iberia resulted in the opening of the Little Bayou Oil Field in 1917. Nearly ninety years later that field is still in production. A great boost to the industry occurred just after World War II when the technology became available for off-shore drilling. Drilling platforms began to dot Vermilion Bay and steadily marched out onto the continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. All of this activity led directly to the development of the Port of Iberia. Today, the port is a beehive of activity with 75 industries generating
over $1 billion in retail sales annually.

Iberiabank building - Tallest building in New Iberia (Iberiabank known for being first bank in the U.S. to reject tarp money)

Photo by: narcolanza
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/planza/1465032769/

Looking west down main street from gougenheim building

Photo by: narcolanza
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/planza/2940594746/

Larned Gates house on main street (Built 1884)

Photo by: Jemery
source http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-ph...Iberia_LA.html

Shadows-On-The-Teche (Built between 1831-1834 for sugarcane planter David Weeks)

Photo by: Susan Bat
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanbat/3311794732/

New Iberia Civic Center (During the yellow fever epidemic in 1839 a black woman named Félicité, a native of Santo Domingo, apparently immune to the virus, worked day and night nursing the sick, comforting the dying, and arranging for burial of the dead. Today, a marker stands before City Hall attesting to her heroism)

Photo by: SARAH P. HARABLE
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/la182

House next to the Shadows-On-The-Teche

Photo by: Gordon L Wolford
source http://www.pbase.com/merriwolf/image/110714840

The Gouguenheim building and part of main street (New Iberia's main street was voted one of the top five main streets in the United States in 2005)

Photo by: Max van Balgooy
source http://historicsites.wordpress.com/2...gram/img_1494/

Steamboat House on main street (Built 1880's)

Photo by: SARAH P. HARABLE
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/68028358

Avery Island (Chinese Gardens on the island)

Photo by: miccrx
source http://travel.webshots.com/photo/111...15897537oxpsqO

Avery Island (Buddha Shrine - The Buddha dates back to 1000 a.d.)

Photo by: crossloch
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/crosslo...7594376486723/

Mount Carmel Convent (Built as a home in 1826. Turned into convent in 1870. Oldest structure in New Iberia - New Iberian who renovated it holds 64 U.S. and ten international patents and is on the verge of building the first offshore wind farm in the United States)

Photo by: tiwonge
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiwonge/158418030

Iberia Parish courthouse

Photo by: James Edmunds
source http://www.jamesedmunds.com/poorclio...m?item_id=2236

St. Peters Catholic church (Land was donated for construction of the church in 1837 however I'm certain that the current structure was built at a different time)

Photo by: Nightwings Photography
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/83913268

Episcopal church of the Epiphany (Built 1858. The oldest public structure in New Iberia and was used as a Union field hospital during the Civil War)

Photo by: papajim
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/83960062

House on main street

Photo by: Greg Harp
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/60187579

Jefferson house (Built 1870. Home of late actor, Joseph Jefferson)

Photo by: C J N (Christian 'Nicky')
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/53906844@N00/446747365

McIlhenny factory on Avery Island (Home of Tabasco sauce)

Photo by: DT Taylor
source http://www.thecampingjournal.com/POS...er/021809.aspx

Main Street businesses (New Iberia's main street is prominently featured in the novel's of author James Lee Burke)

Photo by: JMZ2007
source http://www.panoramio.com/photo/20333770

Conrad rice mill (Oldest operating rice mill in the United States)

Photo by: Jennifer A. Huber
source http://www.suite101.com/view_image.cfm/531238

Main Street (First winner of the 'Great American main street award' in Louisiana)

Photo by: djslimbeats
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/51229695@N00/389356544/

Local Library

Photo by: Iberia Parish Library
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipl/2752815914/

First United Methodist Church (Built in 1891)

Photo by: Nightwings Photography
source http://www.pbase.com/nightwings/image/85935625

The controversial New Iberia Research Center (One of the largest primate testing facilities in the world)

Photo by: Nightwings Photography
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/83420205

Replica of the shrine of St. Bernadette at Lourdes on main street (Erected 1941)

Photo by: hallock35 (MT Hallock Morris)
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/swampgoddess/205350997/

Avery Island bird sanctuary (One of the largest egret rookeries in the country)

Photo by: outdoorcat75455
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/outdoorcat75455/474722160/

Home on main street

Photo by: Annie
source http://backhighways.com/Picture_page_5.htm

Home on main street (Childhood home of author James Lee Burke)

Photo by: Meg Regard Mourain
source http://www.interlakenwest.com/restrictions.html

1,900 year old Hadrian statue encased at the Hadrian building

Photo by: mhowry (Matt Howry)
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhowry/618381936/

Statue of Hadrian at this Iberiabank branch (Auctioned off for nearly $1 million in New York after spending many years in New Iberia)

Photo by: James Edmunds
source http://www.jamesedmunds.com/newiberi...veningWest.htm

The old post office on main street (Circa 1903)

Photo by: James Edmunds
source http://www.jamesedmunds.com/newiberi...rningWest.htm1

Estorge-Norton house (Circa 1903)

Photo by: poppybike
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppybike/1849005740/

Amtrak station (Amtrak's "sunset limited" passes through New Iberia)

Photo by: shyana5150
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/26500154@N04/3091705860/

Laotian new year (We have a fairly large Laotian community for a city our size)

Photo by: James Edmunds
source http://www.jamesedmunds.com/poorclio...2002/index.cfm

Colorful house on main street

Photo by: Paul Chaney
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/pchaney/2268752553/

Main street opposite the Gougenheim building

Photo by: mm212hd130
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/27889205@N02/2600990515

House on main street

Photo by: Henry Richardson
source http://bakubo.blogspot.com/

Laotian Pimai parade (Lanexang Village is the largest of the Laotian communities in Iberia parish)

Photo by: James Edmunds
source http://www.jamesedmunds.com/poorclio...2002/index.cfm

Bridge over bayou teche (The last working steamboat passed through New Iberia in 1943 on the bayou teche)

Photo by: destinphil (Philip Hudson)
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/destinphil/952164183/

Homes In New Iberia

Photo by: Meg Regard Mourain
source http://www.interlakenwest.com/restrictions.html

Homes In New Iberia

Photo by: Meg Regard Mourain
source http://www.interlakenwest.com/restrictions.html

Homes in New Iberia

Photo by: Meg Regard Mourain
source http://www.interlakenwest.com/restrictions.html

Homes In New Iberia

Photo by: Meg Regard Mourain
source http://www.interlakenwest.com/restrictions.html

Iberia Parish Sheriff vehicle (In 2000, our sheriff made national news for arresting a roller skating rink owner and his manager -- and closing down the skating rink -- because he objected to the music being played. In addition to music by Snoop Doggy Dog, the sheriff seized the Hokey Pokey and songs by Britney Spears.

- The ACLU was not amused)

Photo by: Pluto665 (D. McGrath)
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluto66...rgerpolicecars

World Championship Gumbo cookoff held in Bouligny plaza

Photo by: narcolanza
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/planza/2940595548/

Live Oak trees over main and bank streets (Every year New Iberia host the Festival of Live Oaks event)

Photo by: narcolanza
source http://farm1.static.flickr.com/73/18...f4ada4.jpg?v=0

Filming of movie, "In the Electric Mist", in New Iberia (Based on the book by author James Lee Burke)
Tommy Lee Jones (Movie also starred John Goodman and many locals)

Photo by: James Robichaux
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053148@N00/472767259

New Iberia police vehicle (The main character ,Dave Robicheaux, in author James Lee Burke's novels is a New Iberia police detective)

Photo by: pluto665 (D. McGrath)
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluto66...n/photostream/

Rip Van Winkle gardens (The island that Rip Van Winkle gardens is situated on was once the refuge for the famous pirate Jean Lafitte and the local folklore says that he has buried treasure there)

Photo by: rakiura
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/66405774@N00/508541399/

Looking at the historic homes on the "bayou-side" of main street

Photo by: mm212hd130
source http://www.flickr.com/photos/mm212hd...n/photostream/

Bruce Foods Headquarters(One of America's largest privately-owned food manufacturers - Home of Bruce's Yams)

Photo by: Bruce Food Corporation
source http://www.brucefoods.com/about-us.html

Thanks for viewing!

yerfdog · #2 Posted **May 1, 2009, 6:24 AM**

I've only seen this town on the map, never knew anything about it. Interesting history and pics.

RockMont · #3 Posted **May 1, 2009, 6:59 PM**

.

The controversial New Iberia Research Center (One of the largest primate testing facilities in the world)

Photo by: Nightwings Photography
source http://www.pbase.com/ourlouisiana/image/83420205

This monkey lab, has been in the news recently too. It was what I first thought of when I saw the name 'New Iberia'.

SPIREINTHEHOLE! · #4 Posted **May 1, 2009, 7:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by yerfdog

I've only seen this town on the map, never knew anything about it. Interesting history and pics.

Thank you. I wanted to add pictures of other areas of the city such as the neighborhoods and city park as well as the new economic activity however I couldn't find those on the internet and I don't have the camera equipment/skill to post pictures of the caliber that's on this site.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockMont

.
This monkey lab, has been in the news recently too. It was what I first thought of when I saw the name 'New Iberia'.

For those in the dark about the controversy, here's the disturbing story as it appeared on abc news;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9gr65wKNXY

LouisianaRush · #5 Posted **May 11, 2009, 5:40 PM**

Thanks for the tour. Awesome pics except for the 1st one. ugh! I have never been to New Iberia before. Next time I am back home I will check it out!

obt · #6 Posted **May 12, 2009, 8:19 PM**

Nice thread. I've been to New Iberia and the downtown area is really very nice. We ate at a nice restaurant that had some killer Natchitoches meat pies (Louisiana residents know what I'm talkin' about). Louisiana has a lot of these kinds of hidden gems.

xzmattzx · #7 Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 5:55 AM**

Interesting place. There's a lot of wild things there.

fla_tiger · #8 Posted **Feb 12, 2011, 2:22 PM**

Thanks for the tour.
I've been to New Iberia, lovely along thebanks of the Teche. Avery Island is a beautiful example of a popular business and nature can coexist and prosper.