Napoleonville, Louisiana

Napoleonville, is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 660 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the location where the film Because of Winn-Dixie, based on Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Prize-winning novel, was shot. The book was set in (fictional) Naomi, Louisiana.

History
As early as 1807 the community that later became Napoleonville was known as "Canal". This canal extended west from Napoleonville to Lake Verret. The village that later developed was named by a former French soldier who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. The French veteran, Pierre Charlet, is buried in the cemetery of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in the nearby community of Plattenville in Assumption Parish.

The first permanent settlements in this region were made by the French and Spanish (including Isleños) about the middle of the 18th century along Bayou Lafourche, between the present towns of Donaldsonville and Napoleonville. From 1755 to 1785, the population was increased by the immigration of the exiled Acadians who settled in the area, clearing the land and building comfortable homes. The town was officially incorporated on March 11, 1878.

Geography
Napoleonville is located at 29.93778°N, -91.02667°W (29.937778, -91.026750). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.4 sqkm, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 540 people, 229 households, and 137 families residing in the village.

Notable people

 * Troy E. Brown, former member of the Louisiana State Senate and native of Napoloenville
 * Paul Carmouche, former district attorney for Caddo Parish
 * Papa Celestin, jazz bandleader
 * Philip H. Gilbert, politician, former lieutenant governor
 * Joe Harrison, state representative
 * Brandon Jacobs, retired NFL running back
 * Samuel A. LeBlanc I, state representative, state court judge, justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1949 to 1954
 * Charlie Melançon, former U.S. representative
 * Jordan Mills, NFL offensive lineman
 * J.C. Politz, sportscaster
 * Tramon Williams, NFL cornerback
 * Kim Willoughby, Team USA Volleyball (2008 Beijing Olympics)

National Guard
The village is home to the 928th Sapper Company, a combat engineer unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard which in turn is headquartered at Baton Rouge. Both of these units belong to the 225th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville near Pineville.

Twin towns
The town maintains twinning links with:
 * 🇫🇷 Pontivy (Napoléonville in 1804), France since 1989