Reserve (Images of America)

Once a thriving center of sugar production on the east bank of the Mississippi River, Reserve has matured into one of America's quintessential small towns. Settled by members of Louisiana's expanding German Coast, Reserve has grown from an agrarian economy to one of global industry, trade, and resource development. Born under the name Bonnet Carre and later raised as St. Peter's, after the church at the center of its life, the term Reserve was adopted from the name of the plantation that had essentially started it all. Nestled between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Reserve has offered its hospitality to weary travelers and visitors alike for 150 years. An integral part in the history of St. John the Baptist Parish, Reserve has retained its charm and warmth through a long-standing tradition of faith and family, where its sons and daughters may venture out onto the world stage but always call Reserve home. Strolling through Reserve today, one can enjoy a community steeped in German, French, and African roots.