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Our Timeline
Early Foundations
1650
The Sisters of St. Joseph, a Catholic congregation of women, is founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France.
1698
Brothers and explorers, Pierre and Jean Baptiste Le Moyne set sail from Brest, France, and arrived at the lower Mississippi River. They encounter a prominent oxbow lake that will be named la Fausse Rivière or False River. Likewise, the surrounding area will become known as la Pointe Coupée or "the place of the cut-off".


Pierre Le Moyne, left, and Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, right.
Sources:
"Pierre Lemoyne, 1661-1706." Fine Art America, Granger Historical Picture Archive, 30 June 2012.
"Sieur De Bienville." Fine Art America, Granger Historical Picture Archive, 2 July 2012.
1720
The trading post le Poste de Pointe Coupée or "the Pointe Coupée Post" is established by French settlers and Creoles.
1738
The St. Francis of Pointe Coupée church is dedicated. It is a predecessor to today's St. Mary Church.

An image of the first St. Francis of Pointe Coupée church which was later destroyed by a strong storm. The second St. Francis Church stood until being dismantled in 1892 when its foundation began to sink into the Mississippi River (just northwest of the New Roads-Bayou Sara ferry crossing).
The handwriting on the bottom of the image reads:
Grand Services of the [illegible], New Roads, Louisiana
St. Francis of Assisi of Pointe Coupée Parish
built in 1719
Source: Costello, Brian J. "Historical Timeline of St. Mary of False River — St. Francis of Pointe Coupee." Facebook, Pointe Coupee Parish Library II, 3 May 2023. Image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity.
1776
A chemin neuf or "new road" is constructed linking the False River and Mississippi River.
1803
The Louisiana Purchase is finalized which sees the United States buy territory from France for fifteen million dollars.

1796
A cropped version of the "Map of the Course of The Mississippi from the Missouri". New Roads is seen on the middle left.
Source: Collot, George Henri Victor. "Map of the Course of The Mississippi from the Missouri." Paris: Arthus Bertrand, David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
1822
Catherine Depau, a free woman of color, divides her plantation on False River into a six-block subdivision containing 20 lots which is connected to the "new road".

A survey plat prepared by Pierre L’Hermite for Marie Catherine Depau, recorded in the Pointe Coupée Parish Conveyance Book, 1822.
At the bottom (truncated), is la Fausse Rivière or False River. Chemin Neuf or New Road can be seen on the right of the image. Today, this road is known as St. Mary's Street. West of this road is a square structure drawn on lot № 6 which is the approximate location of present-day St. Mary of False River church.
Source: Costello, Brian J. "Marie Catherine Depau dite la Fille Gougis: Foundress of the City of New Roads still officially unrecognized." Facebook, Pointe Coupee Parish Library II, 10 February 2025. Image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity.
1875
The Louisiana state legislature incorporates the growing town, officially naming it New Roads.
Similarly, in the years following Louisiana's 1812 statehood, the spelling of the word "Coupee" more and more begins to eschew the traditional French accent aigu over the first letter “e”. This is in large part due to the Americanization and Anglicization of names over time.
1904
Invited by Father Francis La Roche, the Sisters of St. Joseph arrive in New Roads, Louisiana.
Joseph Richy — New Roads mayor, local businessman, and philanthropist — donates a plot of land to the Sisters who aim to build a school. Two years later, the St. Joseph's School (the predecessor to today's Catholic of Pointe Coupee School) will hold its inaugural semester with 47 pupils.

A portrait of Joseph Richy. He is most likely wearing a wool 3-piece suit, typical formal attire for the early 20th century, with the T-bar from his pocket watch's chain poking through his vest's button hole.
Source: "Joseph Richy." Facebook, Pointe Coupee Parish Library II, 6 September 2016. Image has been lightly edited and colorized for clarity.