Galvez, Louisiana
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The town of Galvez is located in Ascension Parish, in the US state of Louisiana, 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Baton Rouge. It is surrounded by and partially incorporated into the larger Prairieville, with which it shares the 70769 ZIP code.
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[edit] Historic Villa de Gálvez
British refugees and early Americans first developed the area just below the junction of the Amite River and Bayou Manchac in the second half of the 18th Century. In 1778, Count Bernardo de Gálvez, the Spanish Governor of Louisiana and viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) sent immigrants from the Canary Islands, hoping to establish a military stronghold against the British in West Florida, who controlled nearby Baton Rouge at the time. The area became known as "Villa de Gálvez", or "Galveztown". It was built in traditional Spanish villa layout, including a military fort.
After the British defeat in 1779, Galvestown lost its importance as military post and began to decline. Diseases such as smallpox and scabies spread in the area. Floods, hurricanes, and droughts destroyed crops. Due to the somewhat remote location from Baton Rouge, supplies were expensive to ship in.
In 1785, the population was down to 242. By 1804, only 28 families and less than 25 slaves remained. Although the Spanish fort, streets, sidewalks, and parks remained as ruins for well over a century, no efforts were made to preserve the site, and today only a state marker hoonoring the Canary Islander immigrants remains to mark the spot.
[edit] Modern Galvez
The modern location of Galvez is to the west of the original settlement, somewhat closer to Baton Rouge .
[edit] Geography
Galvez is located at . Elevation is 16 feet (4.88 m).
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