Mermentau is the mispronounced name of a local Attapaka chief. The area was once part of No Mans Land, home of smugglers and pirates the dense woods and swamps providing hiding places.

Just prior to the Civil War, the area began to settle down. Merchants moved in and a sawmill and cotton gin were built. Lumber from the area provided homes and fenceposts for the growing Cajun Prairie area.

The railroad arrived in 1880