Duson, Louisiana
Acadia Parish
(submitted by and photos by Gerald & Tammy Westmoreland)
Duson is located on US Hwy 90 aboutt 5 miles east of Rayne. GPS: 30.236219, -92.180363
Duson is a town in Acadia and Lafayette parishes in Louisiana. The town was named after Curley Duson, a legendary sheriff of St. Landry Parish. At the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 1,761.
Originally known as "Duson Station", the town was laid out by J.G. Parkerson, general manager of the Louisiana Western Railroad. By August 30, 1880, the railroad line from New Orleans to Houston was completed, and passenger and freight service began. It merged with the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1900. The village of Duson was incorporated on December 16, 1909, named after the land developer Curley Duson, and installed Adolph De Jean as the first mayor.
In 1927, St. Theresa Catholic Church was completed. Cotton farming was the main agriculture for the area. Three cotton gins were in Duson until the mid-1960s. Fires destroyed two and the third was torn down. After World War II, small lots east of Duson were developed, with small houses using brick siding paper on the exterior. Because of that, the area became known as "Paper Town."
Like many other towns and cities in the Acadiana region, Duson has a local Mardi Gras celebration that includes a parade through the town. Many residents of nearby Lafayette, Scott and Rayne will converge on the town, as most parades in the region are scheduled as to not occur simultaneously.
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