Vintage Photos of Lafayette, Louisiana

(KPEL-FM) - There’s something special about Lafayette, Louisiana, a sense that the past is never too far from the present. You can sense it when visiting Vermilionville or Acadian Village, and from the countless businesses with historic photos on their walls.

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Whether it’s the Creole cottages and unique architecture of the Saints Streets area, the family-run corner stores serving delicious plate lunches that have stood for decades, or the stories passed down at Sunday cookouts, Lafayette is a city built on memory and tradition. You don’t have to look far to find history here. It’s in the names of our schools, streets, the faces in old yearbooks, and hints of the nostalgic storefronts that still line Jefferson Street. There's even video of downtown Lafayette from the 1960s uploaded to YouTube by Adrian Baudoin

Today, we’re taking a walk down memory lane with a look at some remarkable historic photos pulled from the Louisiana Digital Collection, an incredible archive maintained by the UL Lafayette Library. This resource, along with Facebook community groups like Lafayette Memories, help preserve moments that may have otherwise been forgotten—scenes from everyday life, special events, high school sports, downtown parades, and snapshots of Lafayette families long before smartphones.

Fortunately, we still have access to historic photos of Lafayette as they give a glimpse into the past, and spark the imagination of what life was like before things got so complicated. These photos may even start a conversation with your parents and grandparents about life back in the day and create more memories of your own by passing these stories down.

Whether you're a life-long resident of Lafayette or just moved to the area, these photos can help paint a picture of the past and connect us even more to the place we call home.