Mermentau Map
Mermentau is a village in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 721 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.
In the last quarter of the 18th century, there was an Attakapas chief Nementou. On April 16, 1784, he sold land on Bayou Plaqumine Brûlée to Antoin Blanc for $100. Nementou is later mentioned as chief of a village on a river with the same name. Eventually, through a clerical error, Nementou became Mementou and this was then corrupted into Mermentau through confusion with the French word mer, which means "sea."
The Mermentau area was once reputedly a refuge for smugglers. It was a crossing point for brave travelers on the Old Spanish Trail, but had such a bad reputation that until the Louisiana Purchase no one would go there to see how many people there were.
Nearby cities include Iota, Gueydan, Crowley, Welsh, Rayne.