St Landry parish was settled by native Americans since 10000BC by ancestors of the Appalousa tribe. In 1690, the French arrived and la Poste des Opelousas was established in 1720. As such, this makes Opelousas and St Landry parish the third oldest settlement in Louisiana.

The original parish, one of Louisiana's original 19 parishes, was the area from the Atchafalaya River westward to the Sabine River, mostly south of Rapides parish (the center of Louisiana). It was the largest parish in the state.

French and Spanish were the first Anglo settlers. followed later by those with slaves. In 1762 France ceded all of Louisiana to the Spanish. In 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte regained the area for France, and in 1803 the United States bought Louisiana.

St Landry Catholic church in Opelousas is called the "mother church of Acadiana." It was established in 1756. During the Civil War, the capital of Louisiana was moved to Opelousas after the US Federal troops took over Baton Rouge.

St Landry Parish begins the transition from predominantly Catholic south Louisiana to Protestant north Louisiana. St Landry also begins the agricultural transition from rice in the south to cotton in the north. Yams are also grown commercially. The eastern side of St Landry parish is at the edge of the vast Atchafalaya Basin, and the western side of the parish begins the Cajun Prairie.

St Landry parish is known for Cajun and Zydeco music, and is home to both the Zydeco Festival and the Yamblee Festival.

For more information about St Landry parish, see http://cajuntravel.com/