Long before Broussard became home to oil field service companies along U.S. 90, early Acadian settlers had an intriguing name for the region: Côte Gelée, which means Frozen Hills or Frozen Coast.

Present-day Broussard isn't exactly known for its blistery winters, scenic coastline or rolling hills. Yet during an unusually cold winter in 1784, Acadian settlers were met with frozen waterways and hilly terrain as they explored the region near Bayou Tortue.

Read more: Celebrating the people, places, history and heritage of Lafayette Parish

"These people were farmers, so they were wondering what in the world they were going to do here with land that's not flat to raise crops and ditches full of ice," said Broussard resident and writer Linda Meaux.

Meaux wrote a 2015 book about Broussard for Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series. She's currently working on another book about Broussard for the publisher's "Then & Now" series that is scheduled to publish next year.

Côte Gelée is pictured on this map in Linda Meaux's book "Images of America: Broussard." PROVIDED PHOTO

Among the first Acadians to arrive in the region were brothers Alexandre Broussard and Joseph "Beausoleil" Broussard, who led a group of about 200 Acadians to present-day St. Martinville, which was then known as Poste des Attakapas. Beausoleil Broussard's nickname Beautiful Sun came from his round, smiling face and willingness to help. He was appointed as captain of the militia and leader of the Acadians in the Attakapas country, according to J. Harold Hollier's 1984 book "Broussard, Louisiana: A Brief History."

It was a descendent of Alexandre Broussard, however, that is credited for the founding and early development of what would one day become the city of Broussard.

Valsain "Valsin" Broussard, the great-great-grandson of Alexandre Broussard, was born in 1825 during a time when the region's economy relied on small farms and large plantations.

Valsin Broussard PROVIDED PHOTO

Valsin Broussard became a prominent local merchant who formed Lafayette Parish's first vigilante committee after his store was robbed. After the Civil War, he donated land to build a church, cemetery, private school, public school, railroad, railroad depot, streets and ruelles (alleys) for the growing community. In 1870, he commissioned a civil engineer to lay out the town. 

The region's citizens recommended the town be named Broussardville in his honor.

A post office was established in 1874, and the community was incorporated in 1884 with a charter that provided for a mayor, council, clerk and marshal. Two years later, citizens were discontented with their elected officials and chose not to elect new officials. The charter of incorporation lapsed without the administration, and it wasn't until 1906 that the town was reincorporated as Broussard and a new government was established.

Valsin Broussard's house, which was built in 1877, was recently donated by his descendants to the city to become a tourism center and museum. PROVIDED PHOTO

Côte Gelée's farms and vigilante committees would one day grow into Broussardville's horse-and-buggy community with large sugarcane plantation homes and a sugar mill. Eventually, the town would become an industrial community known as Broussard with more than 1,000 businesses.

Broussard was designated a city in November 2002 under Mayor Charlie Langlinais' leadership.  

Langlinais, who died in January,  named his real estate company Côte Gelée for his hometown's original name.

"It was just this wild winter. It was frozen," said today's mayor Ray Bourque. "And then I guess they realized what Louisiana summer would be like after that."

Email Megan Wyatt at mwyatt@theadvocate.com.