In Cajun-Creole country you don't often hear about the German influence, better yet an entire German settlement like Roberts Cove.
In January 1880, people who lived near Aachen, Germany made their way to Louisiana. The original settlers left their small villages and came to Acadiana and Acadia Parish through New Orleans.
They settled on prairie land which was soon named Roberts Cove. Those settlers were all from one general area in Germany so they spoke the same language and had the same way of living which made it easy for them to keep their traditions thriving once they settled in Acadia Parish.
Now, in the 9th and 10 generations of the original settlers, the land is still being passed down.
"The original families still have the land that they settled on. There are lots of newcomers too so the community is growing," said Philip Fabacher with the Germanfest Museum.
The beer, food and quilts are some of the most common visible influences of the German settlement in Acadiana. However, their biggest footprint has made it possible to bring a Louisiana crop to the world -rice.
"The Germans were the first to make it a commercial crop in this area. They developed the cultivation of rice that we use today--irrigation of rice, water wells, steam engines and thrashers," Fabacher said.
Tours are available by appointment at the Germanfest Museum.
