St. Martinville itself is rich in Acadian, Creole, African, and Native American culture. It has been home to the Attakapas Indians, Acadian people, African slaves, and French settlers. Located along the winding Bayou Teche (Snake River), St. Martinville became prosperous from the steamboat trade that traveled the Teche. The city has also been known as Petite Paris or Little Paris by the wealthy Creoles and sugar cane planters of New Orleans who vacationed there in the summer. At that time, St. Martinville was known as a cultural Mecca with good hotels and a French theater which featured the best operas and comedies. The city is also the setting of Longfellow’s poem, Evangeline, the story of a betrothed couple, Evangeline and Gabriel, separated by the Acadian Exile. St. Martinville is the birthplace of Acadiana, the heart of Cajun Country.