Iberia Parish, in southwestern Louisiana, is one of the oldest settlements in the state and has both French and Spanish roots. Maurine Bergerie examines the history of this parish from its beginnings in the 1700s to the 1950s. Using legal documents and courthouse and church records, Bergerie provides information on the history of the parish, its people, and their society. Included photographs, maps, and illustrations further supplement the book, providing a visual Iberian history.
In addition to the parish's domestic history, this book also examines the parish's historical relationship with Spain. Bergerie obtained copies of original permits for the settlement, then part of Attakapas Country, from archives at Seville, Spain. The richly informative appendix also contains full translations of letters between early Iberian leader Francisco Bouligny and Bernardo de Galvez, Spain's colonial governor of Louisiana.
Maurine Bergerie, a native Iberian, was inspired to write They Tasted Bayou Water after a long interest in the history of her home parish. Bergerie earned a BA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and taught for several years in south Louisiana. She later earned an MA in American history, with a minor in French, from Louisiana State University.