Gonzales

History

Early European settlers of the area that was developed as Gonzales were, for the most part, of French and Spanish ancestry. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area. Among the projects and plans carried out by Luis de Unzaga ("Le Conciliateur") while he was governor of Louisiana between 1769 and 1777 was the promotion of new settlements by Europeans; among them were French Acadians and Málaga in the fertile Mississippi region, and more specifically in the Unzaga Post or "Puesto de Unzaga" that he created in 1771 in Pointe Coupee, the parish of Saint Gabriel in 1773 and Fort Manchac in 1776; the Gonzales people occupied land at the confluence of the aforementioned European settlements. By 1851, the small European settlement still had only ten residents. A school was established in 1855 by Adlard Gautreaux for the European-American children in the area. By 1886, the settlement had grown, and the citizens of the community elected "Big" José Gonzáles as their sheriff. José's son, Joseph "Tee-Joe" (for Petit Joe) Gonzales, opened a general store and post office in May 1887. The post office became known as the Gonzales Post Office. Construction of the railroad to the village stimulated the growth of Gonzales. When the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company (LR&N) constructed its rail line through the area, the local post office was already named Gonzales. The rail company executives wanted to name their station Edenborn, after the company's owner, Willam Edenborn. The company also wanted to move the station north of the area to New River, Louisiana, then called Belle Hellene. After local residents filed protests with the Louisiana Railroad Commission, the railroad company was ordered to leave the station at Gonzales. The LR&N still tried to change the…

Geography

Gonzales is located at (30.227128, -90.919771). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.27%, is water. Gonzales has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. The area is subject to potential severe weather year-round, with snowfall being rare for the city. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the area due to its proximity to the coastline of southeast Louisiana. In September 2008, Hurricane Gustav brought 80+ mph winds to the area with gusts over 100 mph.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Dutchtown High School
  High · Geismar · 2,643 students · 18:1 ratio
• St. Amant High School
  High · St. Amant · 2,411 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• East Ascension High School
  High · Gonzales · 2,098 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Lake Elementary School
  Elementary · St. Amant · 926 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Lakeside Primary School
  Elementary · Prairieville · 853 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Prairieville Primary School
  Elementary · Prairieville · 845 students · 18.8:1 ratio
• Galvez Primary School
  Elementary · Prairieville · 842 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• Galvez Middle School
  Middle · Prairieville · 804 students · 19.1:1 ratio