Pointe Coupee Parish

The name of Pointe Coupee (French for “cut-off point”) tells you a lot: It’s the point on the Mississippi River where the river changed course and left a portion cut off from the rest. But the Mississippi’s caprice is the local folks’ boon. The resulting oxbow lake, known as the False River, is the base for the lovely town of New Roads and offers a true recreational cornucopia. First settled in the early days of French Louisiana, Pointe Coupee contains some of the earliest remnants of Creole civilization, while its pronunciation, “Point Coo-pee” reflects the Anglicization that began in the 1800s. But don’t think the French culture has fallen away. A ferry ride across the Mississippi to the far more “Anglican” St. Francisville offers a study in contrasts. The architecture, the history, even the terrain look different. It’s apparent that Pointe Coupee Parish is the very frontier of French Louisiana.