Mankind has been in Avoyelles for thousand of years, as evidenced by the ancient Indian mounds on Old River and throughout the parish. European settlment kicked off in the 1780s. Descendants of the first French families of Louisiana have lived in Avoyelles since hte 1780s and are evidenced by the core family names such as Bordelon, Couvillon, Deselle, Ducote, Juneau, Laborde, Lemoine, Roy, St. Romain, and Tassin
