New book features images of Evangeline Parish

A book that went on sale Monday, May 26, features more than 200 vintage images of Evangeline Parish. The authors of the book are Jane Vidrine, who lives in Belaire Cove, and Jean Kiesel, a Minnesota native and long-time Louisiana resident. Both are librarians at the University of Louisiana.
The two visited Evangeline Parish last year to find the photographs and research the parish’s history for the book, entitled “Evangeline Parish.” They found the photographs in private collections and at the Ville Platte Gazette archives.
The book is published by Arcadia Publishing, of Charleston, South Carolina. It’s one in a series of local history books covering locations throughout the country. The name of the series is “Images of America.”
The book on Evangeline Parish is divided into six sections: Communities, People, Churches and Schools, Agriculture, Businesses and Recreation.
Vidrine and Kiesel will sign copies of their book on Saturday, May 31, starting at 10 a.m. at the Hatchery in Vidrine; and on Saturday, June 7, at Susan’s on Court from 10 a.m. to noon. They will have a booth at the Smoked Meat Festival, June 27 and 28, where they will sign copies of the book, and they will be at the Bastille Day celebration at the North Side Civic Center July 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In a written statement about the hoped-for impact the book will have, Kiesel and Vidrine stated, “We hope it will stimulate an interest in local history in others and inspire them to record their own stories. Everyone has a story to tell, and they are all fascinating in their own way.”