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Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana

Calcasieu Parish (Paroisse de Calcasieu) is a parish located on the southwestern border of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,785. The parish seat is Lake Charles.

Calcasieu Parish is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area; it is also located near the Beaumont–Port Arthur (Texas), Lafayette, and Alexandria metropolitan areas.

Calcasieu Parish was created March 24, 1840, from the parish of Saint Landry, one of the original nineteen civil parishes established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1807 after the United States acquired the territory in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The original parish seat was Comasaque Bluff, a settlement east of the river and later called Marsh Bayou Bluff. On December 8, 1840, it was renamed as Marion, Louisiana.

In 1852 Jacob Ryan, a local planter and businessman, donated land and offered to move the courthouse in order to have the parish seat moved to Lake Charles. As the population in this area grew over the years, the original Calcasieu Parish has since been divided into five smaller parishes. The original area of Calcasieu Parish is called Imperial Calcasieu.

History
The name Calcasieu [p] comes from the Atakapa word, spelled quelqueshue in a French transliteration, and meaning "singing eagle." This was the name of an Atakapa chief, which French colonists applied to the local river, the Calcasieu River. When the Spanish controlled this area, they referred to this river as the Rio Hondo (Rio Stondo or "Deep River"). The Americans adopted an English transliteration of the French name for the parish. There is also some speculation that Calcasieu is simply an anglicized spelling of "quelque chose" (pronounced kel-ka-showz) which is French for "something," therefore potentially being named "Something Parish" after "Something River".

Early history
The early history of the parish dates to the period of the Spanish occupation of Louisiana, after France had ceded this territory following its defeat by Great Britain in the Seven Years' War. In 1797, Jose M. Mora was granted a large tract of land between the Rio Hondo (now Calcasieu River) and the Sabine River, known for years as the "Neutral Strip" between Louisiana and Texas. The area became a refuge for outlaws and filibusters from Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi of the United States, which had recently gained independence from Great Britain.

The territory was disputed for years between Spain and the United States after France had ceded Louisiana to the American government as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It was definitively acquired by the United States from Spain with the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1819. The treaty was formally ratified on February 22, 1821. By an act of Congress, approved on March 3, 1823, this strip of land was attached to the district of the Louisiana Territory south of the Red River.

Early settlers to the area included the Ryan, Perkin, Hodges, Bilbo, LeBleu, Deviers, and Henderson families. Some of these families also brought along a few enslaved servants. Acadian settlers, from the eastern parishes of Louisiana, also migrated to this area. Of French descent and exiled by the British from Acadia (eastern Canada), many of these refugees had settled in Louisiana. The parish had a diverse ethnic mix of French and Spanish Creoles, Acadians, Anglo-Americans, Enslaved African Americans, Free African Americans, and Indians. Data compiled from historical volumes of the US Center of Population and Housing indicate that in 1850, 240 of 3914 Parish residents were "Free Men of Color". By 1860 that number had risen to 305 of 5928. The 1860 U.S. census of Louisiana counts 1171 Slaves among Calcasieu Parish residents.

"Imperial Calcasieu" era
Calcasieu Parish was created in 1840 from the Parish of Saint Landry. The new parish was the largest in the state, larger than either of the two smallest states, Delaware and Rhode Island. This size, which ultimately was divided into five parishes, led to the parish's nickname "Imperial Calcasieu."

On August 24, 1840, six men met at a private home near present-day Chloe to organize as the parish police jury representing six wards. The first order of business was to elect officers, appoint a parish clerk, and settle on simple parliamentary rules that would enable the president to keep the meetings orderly and progressive. The jury adopted all of the laws then in force in Saint Landry Parish. They appointed a parish constable, a parish treasurer, two parish assessors, and an operator of the ferry at Buchanan's crossing. The assessors were given two months to assess all of the property in the parish and a salary of $90.

On September 14, 1840, a survey was authorized of land known then as Marsh Bayou Bluff in order to establish a seat of justice (parish seat) and construct a courthouse and jail. On December 8, 1840, the jury chose to rename this community as Marion. In 1843, the Legislature authorized a vote to move the parish seat.

Finally in 1852, Jacob Ryan was successful in having the parish seat relocated from Marion to the east bank of Lake Charles. This parish seat was incorporated in 1857 as the town of Charleston; it was reincorporated in 1868 as Lake Charles. It is located about 6 mi from Marion, now known as Old Town. The name Lake Charles commemorates one of the first European settlers, Charles Sallier, a Frenchman who acquired land in this area at the beginning of the 19th century.

Division
In 1870 Cameron Parish was created from the southern portion of Imperial Calcasieu. It was one of several parishes organized during the Reconstruction era by the Republican-dominated legislature, in an effort to build Republican strength. Many Freedmen had joined the Republican Party elsewhere in the state. However, while other areas of Louisiana had been developed as cotton plantations, Calcasieu Parish had not. Although the parish had been larger in land mass than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island it was primarily utilized as grazing land for cattle with no significant plantings of cotton, sugar cane or other crops requiring the utilization of slave labor. Therefore, Calcasieu before the Civil War was home to a lower percentile of African-American slaves than many other parts of the State.

In 1912 Calcasieu Parish still comprised an area of more than 3600 sqmi, and remained the largest parish in the state by geographic area. In 1912, "Imperial Calcasieu" was further divided with the creation of the three new parishes of Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis, with a total area of approximately 2548 sqmi. These were the most recent parishes organized in Louisiana. Following these jurisdictional changes, Calcasieu Parish lost almost half of its population between the 1910 and 1920 United States census.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1094 sqmi, of which 1064 sqmi is land and 31 sqmi (2.8%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:I-210.svg|25px]] Interstate 210
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:US 171.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 171
 * [[Image:Louisiana 12 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 12
 * [[Image:Louisiana 14 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 14
 * [[Image:Louisiana 27 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 27
 * [[Image:Louisiana 378 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 378
 * [[Image:Louisiana 385 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 385
 * [[Image:Louisiana 397 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 397
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1138-2 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1138-2
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1138-3 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1138-3
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3020 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3020
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3092 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3092
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3186 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3186

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * Beauregard Parish (north)
 * Jefferson Davis Parish (east)
 * Cameron Parish (south)
 * Orange County, Texas (west)
 * Newton County, Texas (northwest)

Major waterways

 * Lake Charles
 * Calcasieu River
 * Intracoastal Canal
 * Ouiski Chitto Creek
 * English Bayou
 * West Fork
 * Calcasieu Lake

Cities

 * DeQuincy
 * Lake Charles (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Sulphur
 * Westlake

Towns

 * Iowa
 * Vinton

Census-designated places

 * Carlyss
 * Gillis
 * Hayes
 * Moss Bluff
 * Prien
 * Starks

Other communities

 * Bell City
 * Bellevue
 * Holmwood
 * Mossville that was taken over by Sasol.

Demographics
According to the 2020 United States census, there were 216,785 people, 77,232 households, and 53,308 families residing in the parish. In 2010, 70.8% of the population were White, 24.9% Black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.9% of some other race and 1.9% of two or more races. 2.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 24.9% were of French, French Canadian or Cajun, 8.4% American, 6.2% Irish, 6.2% English and 6.1% German ancestry. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 63.25% non-Hispanic white, 25.29% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.98% other or two or more races, and 5.25% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2010, were 73,996 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the parish, 27.40% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $35,372, and the median income for a family was $41,903. Males had a median income of $36,569 versus $21,390 for females according to the 2010 census. The per capita income for the parish was $17,710. About 12.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Calcasieu Parish is governed by an elected body known as the Police Jury. Some 15 single-member districts have been defined, with a population of approximately 12,200 persons per district (based on the 2000 census). Each district elects one Juror for representation, in keeping with the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court of the "one man, one vote" principle.

The Court had found that Louisiana and a number of other states had failed to reapportion their state legislatures for decades, in many cases keeping representation based on geographic boundaries, such as counties or parishes, rather than population. This had resulted in under-representation for decades of urban and industrialized districts in the state legislature. Redistricting was also required at the parish level for election of police juries. By the constitution, reapportionment (or redistricting) of the parish is required following each official census. This can change the boundaries of the single-member districts, to ensure that each Juror represents approximately the same number of people.

A 2003 report found that the office of the public defender in Calcasieu Parish used an expert in only 1 of 171 cases. The criminal defense lawyers in that parish visited their clients in jail in only 1 out of 14 cases.

Courthouse
The first courthouse erected at Marion, a crudely built log cabin, was completed in August 1841. When the seat of justice was changed to Lake Charles in 1852, Sheriff Jacob Ryan with the help of his slave, Uncle George, and the aid of his good friend and fellow landowner, Samuel Adams Kirby, loaded the log cabin courthouse on an ox cart and transported the small building through the piney woods to Lake Charles. A new wooden courthouse was completed within a year.

This courthouse was replaced in 1891 by a colonial-style brick building erected at a cost of $20,000. In 1902 the parish added an annex to this building. A disastrous fire on April 23, 1910, destroyed the courthouse as well as most of downtown Lake Charles. Many of the records of the parish were burned or damaged. On April 4, 1911, the Police Jury decided to build a new courthouse on the old site.

It is a brick and terracotta structure completed in 1912 at a cost of $200,000. It is a replica of the famous Villa Copra, known as the Rotunda in Vicenza. The villa was designed by noted Italian architect, Andrea Palladio. His work became internationally known in the 17th and 18th centuries, and was influential both in Great Britain and the United States. Calcasieu Parish's replica was designed by Favrot and Livaudais of New Orleans. The dome atop the courthouse is of solid copper.

An annex containing two additional court rooms and additional space for the Clerk of Court and the Police Jury was added in the year 1958. Another annex for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the State of Louisiana was completed in 1960.

In 1967, a Parish Government Building was completed to house the various offices of the Police Jury. This building was expanded in 2003, and houses the following departments: Office of the Parish Administrator, Records Department, Division of Finance/Purchasing, Facilities Management, Human Resources Department, Division of Planning and Development, Division of Engineering and Public Works, and the Government Access Channel.

In 1987, a new building was constructed to house the District Attorney's Office. A new state-of-the-art correctional center was completed in 1990 to replace the old jail, which was constructed in 1956. A separate building was completed in 1991 for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. A Judicial Center was constructed on the site of the old jail to house the Fourteenth Judicial District, and was completed in March 1994.

Between 1993 and 1998 an extensive interior and exterior restoration and renovation was performed on the 1912 Parish Courthouse. The Courthouse houses several offices, including the Clerk of Court, Juvenile and Family Court, Registrar of Voters, Sheriff's Civil Division, Veterans Affairs Office, and others.

Law enforcement
The primary law enforcement for the parish is the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. In 2016, employees of the office were amongst the lowest-paid in the region.

The Louisiana State Police is the primary law enforcement on state highways within the parish.

Education
Public schools in all parts of the parish are operated by the Calcasieu Parish School Board.

It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.

National Guard
Elements of the 256th IBCT and the 139TH RSG (Regional Support Group) are based in Lake Charles. The 256th IBCT deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010. De Quincy is the home of H Company of the 199th Forward Support Battalion which is a detachment of 3-156th Infantry Battalion. The Battalion's HHC is located in Lake Charles. These units deployed to Iraq with the 256TH IBCT.

Notable people

 * Mark Abraham (born 1953), politician elected in 2015 as state representative for Calcasieu Parish, was sworn in January 2016.
 * Ken Bahnsen (born 1930), former NFL fullback and collegiate football and tennis coach. Member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of North Texas.
 * Terry Burrows (Born 1968), former Major League Baseball pitcher and head baseball coach at McNeese State University.
 * A.C. Clemons (1921–1992), Democratic politician elected to the Louisiana State Senate. He switched parties and became the first declared Republican member of the state senate since the Reconstruction era. His district included part of Calcasieu Parish.
 * Casey Daigle (born 1981), former Major League Baseball pitcher. Husband of American Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch.
 * Mike Danahay, Democratic state representative for Calcasieu Parish since 2008; sales representative in Lake Charles; formerly resided in Sulphur and Vinton
 * Alvin Dark (1922-2014) former Major League Baseball player and manager
 * Michael E. DeBakey (1908-2008), heart surgeon; first person to successfully implant an artificial heart (1963); member of the Health Care Hall of Fame; recipient of the United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, and the National Medal of Science; originator of the M.A.S.H. unit concept.
 * Sean Patrick Flanery (born 1965), is an American actor, author and martial artist.
 * Dan Flavin (born 1957), Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. He operates a real estate office in Lake Charles.
 * 1LT. Douglas B. Fournet (1943-1968), Medal of Honor recipient killed-in-action in the Vietnam War.
 * Lether Frazar (1904–1960), university administrator, was the fourth president of McNeese State University, the second president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
 * Gilbert Franklin Hennigan (1883-1960), served in the Louisiana Senate from Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis parishes from 1944 to 1956. He was born in Meadows in Calcasieu Parish and also lived in Beauregard Parish.
 * Harry Hollins, state representative for Calcasieu Parish from 1964 to 1980.
 * Ronnie Johns (born 1949), a State Farm Insurance agency owner in Sulphur who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1996 to 2008; he was unopposed for the state senator from District 27 in 2011.
 * Charlie Joiner (born 1947), former NFL wide receiver and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 * Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (1905-1982), former football and baseball coach and later president at Grambling State University.
 * Robert G. "Bob" Jones (born 1939), a Lake Charles stockbroker, served in both houses of the Louisiana legislature between 1968 and 1976. He later switched to the Republican Party after running unsuccessfully in the 1975 gubernatorial primary.
 * Sam Houston Jones (1897–1978), born and raised in nearby Beauregard Parish, he practiced law in Lake Charles for years prior to his election as governor in 1940.
 * Eddie Kennison (born 1973), former LSU and NFL and wide receiver. Member of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
 * Bobby Kimball (born 1947), former lead singer and original member of the band Toto.
 * Tony Kushner (born 1956), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
 * Conway LeBleu (1918-2007), a Lake Charles native who represented Cameron and part of Calcasieu parishes in the Louisiana House from 1964 to 1988.
 * Zachary Levi (born 1980), American actor, comedian, and singer.
 * Coleman Lindsey (1892–1968), born in a part of Calcasieu Parish that is now the Dry Creek community of Allen Parish. He was a state senator from Bossier and Webster parishes, lieutenant governor from 1939 to 1940, and a state court district judge in East Baton Rouge Parish from 1950 until his death.
 * Nate Livings (born 1982), former NFL offensive lineman.
 * Janice Lynde (born 1948), American actress and original cast member of The Young and the Restless.
 * Ted Lyons (1900-1986), former Major League Baseball pitcher and manager. 1955 inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
 * Tommy Mason (1939-2015), former professional American Football player in the NFL. First overall pick of the 1961 NFL Draft.
 * Dak Prescott (born 1993), current quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
 * Trey Quinn (born 1995), professional athlete for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.
 * Rupert Richardson (1930-2008), African-American civil rights activist and civil rights leader who served as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1992 to 1995.
 * Wilbert Rideau (born 1943), was a winner of the George Polk Award as editor of The Angolite, the Louisiana State Penitentiary's prisoner-produced newsmagazine.
 * Guy Sockrider (1921-2011), businessman and state senator from Jennings and Lake Charles from 1948 to 1964
 * Victor T. "Vic" Stelly (1941-2020), former Republican state representative from Calcasieu Parish and author of the Stelly Plan
 * Martin Waldron (1925–1981), winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on unchecked spending on the Florida Turnpike.

title: Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana


text:
Bossier Parish, Louisiana

Bossier Parish (Paroisse de Bossier ) is a parish located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 128,746.

The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is Bossier City, which is located east of the Red River and across from the larger city of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The parish was formed in 1843 from the western portion of Claiborne Parish. Bossier Parish is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan statistical area, the largest metropolitan area in North Louisiana.

Lake Bistineau and Lake Bistineau State Park are included in parts of Bossier and neighboring Webster and Bienville parishes. Loggy Bayou flows south from Lake Bistineau in southern Bossier Parish, traverses western Bienville Parish, and in Red River Parish joins the Red River.

History
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, an ethnic French, 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.

Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War. In July 1861, at the start of the war, the Bossier Parish Police Jury appropriated $35,000 for the benefit of Confederate volunteers and their family members left behind, an amount then considered generous.

After the war, whites used violence and intimidation to maintain dominance over the newly emancipated freedmen. From the end of Reconstruction into the 20th century, violence increased as conservative white Democrats struggled to maintain power over the state. In this period, Bossier Parish had 26 lynchings of African Americans by whites, part of racial terrorism. This was the fifth-highest total of any parish in Louisiana, tied with the total in Iberia Parish in the South of the state. Overall, parishes in northwest Louisiana had the highest rates of lynchings.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 867 sqmi, of which 840 sqmi is land and 27 sqmi (3.1%) is water. Four miles east of Bossier City is Barksdale Air Force Base.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-20.svg|25px]] Interstate 20
 * [[Image:I-220.svg|25px]] Interstate 220
 * [[Image:I-69 (Future).svg|25px]] Future Interstate 69
 * [[Image:US 71.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 79.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 79
 * [[Image:US 80.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 80
 * [[Image:Louisiana 2 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 2
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * Miller County, Arkansas (northwest)
 * Lafayette County, Arkansas (north)
 * Webster Parish (east)
 * Bienville Parish (southeast)
 * Red River Parish (south)
 * Caddo Parish (west)

National protected area

 * Red River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Cities

 * Bossier City (largest municipality)
 * Shreveport (partial)

Towns

 * Benton (parish seat)
 * Haughton
 * Plain Dealing (smallest municipality)

Census-designated places

 * Eastwood
 * Red Chute

Unincorporated communities

 * Elm Grove
 * Fillmore
 * Princeton, birthplace of George Dement
 * Taylortown

2020 census
At the 2020 United States census, there were 128,746 people, 49,735 households, and 33,963 families residing in the parish. According to the 2010 U.S. census, there were 116,979 people, 62,000 households, and 37,500 families residing in the parish. The population density was 142 PD/sqmi. There were 49,000 housing units at an average density of 48 /mi2.

The racial makeup of the parish in 2010 was 70.66% White, 18.52% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 2.18% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races; 8.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 65.9% non-Hispanic white, 23.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.9% some other race, 1.7% two or more races, and 6.9% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 61.35% non-Hispanic white, 23.2% African American, 0.45% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 5.15% multiracial, and 7.95% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, reflecting nationwide demographic trends of mass diversification.

Law, government and politics
Bossier Parish is governed by a 12-member elected body: the Bossier Parish Police Jury (which is equivalent to a county commission in other states). Members are elected from single-member districts.The current members of the police jury are:
 * District 1 - Bob Brotherton
 * District 2 - Glenn Benton
 * District 3 - Philip Rogers
 * District 4 - John Ed Jordan
 * District 5 - Julianna Parks
 * District 6 - Chris Marsiglia
 * District 7 - Jimmy Cochran
 * District 8 - Douglas E. Rimmer
 * District 9 - Charles Gray
 * District 10 - Jerome Darby
 * District 11 - Tom Salzer
 * District 12 - Paul M. "Mac" Plummer

Since the late 20th century, the non-Hispanic white population of the parish has shifted from the Democratic to the Republican Party (as have most conservative whites in Louisiana and other Southern U.S. states). The state was a one-party state dominated by the Democratic Party from the period after the turn of the century (when most Blacks were disenfranchised in Louisiana) to the mid-20th century.

Bossier Parish has since reliably voted for Republican candidates in most contested U.S. presidential elections. Since 1952, George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama who ran in 1968 on the American Independent Party ticket, has been the only non-Republican to carry Bossier Parish.

In 2008, U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona won in Bossier Parish with 32,713 votes (71.4 percent) over Democrat Barack H. Obama of Illinois, who received 12,703 votes (27.8 percent). In 2012, Mitt Romney polled 34,988 votes (72 percent) in Bossier Parish (2,275 more ballots than McCain drew in 2008). President Obama won 12,956 (26.6) of the votes in Bossier Parish.

National Guard
The 165th CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion is headquartered in Bossier City. This unit was deployed to Iraq in 2008. Also located in Bossier City is the 156TH Army Band which deployed as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade in 2010 to Iraq.

Education
Bossier Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.

It is in the service areas of Bossier Parish Community College and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.

Notable people

 * William Benton Boggs (1854-1922), first mayor of Plain Dealing (1890) and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1892 to 1900 for Bossier Parish and the Louisiana State Senate for Bossier and Webster parishes from 1908 to 1916
 * Roy A. Burrell, state representative from District 2 (Caddo and Bossier parishes) since 2004
 * E. S. Dortch, planter and politician and last surviving (1943) Bossier Parish veteran of the Confederate States Army
 * Jack Favor, a rodeo star, was falsely imprisoned in 1967 at the Louisiana State Penitentiary for the murders of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Richey.
 * Ryan Gatti, state senator for District 36 since 2016; Bossier City lawyer
 * Booker T, American professional wrestler and promoter.
 * Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; constitutional attorney in Benton
 * Jerry Miculek, American professional speed and competition shooter known for his 20 world records; resides in Princeton

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Bossier Parish, Louisiana


text:
Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Bienville Parish (Paroisse de Bienville, ) is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,981. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Arcadia.

The highest natural point in Louisiana, a hill known as Mt. Driskill, 535 ft in elevation, is located in north central Bienville Parish. The mountain is located on private land with public access by walking trail. It is named for James Christopher Driskill, a 19th-century landowner. Nearby is Jordan Mountain, with an elevation of 493 ft.

History
In the 1830s, Ruben Drake moved his family from South Carolina to what he named Mount Lebanon, the first permanent settlement in the parish. As the Drakes were devout Baptists, they established a church and school, which evolved into Mount Lebanon University, the forerunner of Louisiana Christian University in Pineville in Rapides Parish in Central Louisiana. Bonnie and Clyde were shot dead in Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 822 sqmi, of which 811 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.3%) is water. The highest natural point in Louisiana, Driskill Mountain (535 ft), is located in Bienville Parish. Driskill Mountain is 11 mi south of Arcadia at Latitude 32 degree, 25 minutes North; Longitude 92 degree 54 minutes West.

Interstates

 * [[Image:I-20.svg|20px]] Interstate 20
 * [[Image:US 80.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 80
 * [[Image:US 371.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 371
 * [[Image:Louisiana 4 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 4
 * [[Image:Louisiana 9 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 9

 * Claiborne Parish (north)
 * Lincoln Parish (northeast)
 * Jackson Parish (east)
 * Winn Parish (southeast)
 * Natchitoches Parish (south)
 * Red River Parish (southwest)
 * Bossier Parish (west)
 * Webster Parish (northwest)

Towns

 * Arcadia (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Gibsland
 * Mount Lebanon
 * Ringgold

Villages

 * Bienville
 * Bryceland
 * Castor
 * Jamestown
 * Lucky
 * Saline

Unincorporated communities

 * Brown
 * Fryeburg
 * Roy
 * Sparta
 * Taylor

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,981 people, 5,812 households, and 3,586 families residing in the parish. At the census of 2000, there were 15,752 people, 6,108 households, and 4,214 families residing in the parish. The population density was 19 /mi2. There were 7,830 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2.

In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 54.92% White, 43.78% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2020 census, the racial makeup was 53.16% non-Hispanic white, 40.62% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.92% multiracial, and 1.63% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2000 census, were 6,108 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.70% were married couples living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.

A tabulated 27.30% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.00% were 18 to 24, 24.60% were 25 to 44, 22.50% were 45 to 64, and 17.60% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males. The median income for a household in the parish was $23,663, and the median income for a family was $30,241. Males had a median income of $28,022 versus $18,682 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,471. About 21.80% of families and 26.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Bienville Parish School Board operates area public schools.

Notable people

 * Henry Newton Brown Jr., judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeals (1992-2012) and district attorney of Bossier and Webster parishes (1976-1991), was born in Bienville Parish in 1941.
 * Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, born in Alberta.
 * Bill DeMott, a professional wrestler, maintains a house in Bienville Parish.
 * Caroline Dormon (1888–1971), a Louisiana botanist and preservationist, grew up in Bienville Parish.
 * Jamie Fair, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1984
 * Charlie Hennigan, American Football League player from the 1960s
 * Henderson Jordan (1896–1958), sheriff of Bienville Parish, 1932–1940; participated in the ambush and killing of Bonnie and Clyde on May 23, 1934; interred at Arcadia Cemetery
 * Billy McCormack (1928-2012), Baptist pastor from Shreveport, director and vice president of the Christian Coalition of America, was born in Bienville Parish and is interred at Ringgold.
 * Garnie W. McGinty (1900–1984), Louisiana historian
 * Danny Roy Moore (1925–c. 2020), represented Claiborne and Bienville parishes in the Louisiana Senate from 1964 to 1968; resided in Arcadia
 * Prentiss Oakley (1905–1957), one of six law-enforcement officials involved in the ambush and killing of Bonnie and Clyde; sheriff, 1940–1952
 * W. C. Robinson, mathematics professor and second president of Louisiana Tech for the 1899 to 1900 academic year; Robinson Hall on campus is named in his honor; from the Mount Lebanon community.
 * Lee Smith, pitcher
 * Sam Smith (1922-1995), Member of the Washington House of Representatives was born in Gibsland.
 * Jesse N. Stone, president of the Southern University System from 1974 to 1985; civil rights activist
 * Marshall H. Twitchell, Reconstruction era state senator who helped to establish Coushatta, the seat of neighboring Red River Parish
 * Rush Wimberly, former member of both houses of the Louisiana legislature, lawyer in Arcadia and Shreveport

title: Bienville Parish, Louisiana


text:
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana

Beauregard Parish (Paroisse de Beauregard) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,549. The parish seat is DeRidder. The parish was formed on January 1, 1913.

Beauregard Parish comprises the DeRidder, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The governing body is by the police jury system.

Spanish and French Rule
Until 1762, the land that would eventually become Beauregard Parish was a part of the Spanish holdings in Louisiana, as, at that time, the border between Spain and France was acknowledged as the Rio Hondo (now known as the Calcasieu river); however the land between the Rio Hondo and the Sabine river was in some dispute as the French were beginning to occupy land on the west side of the Rio Hondo. In 1762, King Louis XV of France secretly gave Louisiana to Spain in the Treaty of Fontainebleau. From 1762 to 1800, the region was a part of New Spain. In 1800, the secret Third Treaty of San Ildefonso transferred possession of Louisiana back to the French, although Spain continued to administer the land until 1803. In this period, the only European settlers to the land that would become Beauregard Parish were a few individuals with Spanish land grants.

Neutral Ground
After the Louisiana Purchase by the United States in 1803, the region stretching from the Sabine River in the west to the Calcasieu River in the east was claimed by both Spain and the United States, leading to little law enforcement by either country. In order to avoid a war over the border, the two countries agreed that the land in contention would remain neutral and free of armed forces from either side. The area became known as the Neutral Ground or the Sabine Free State. During this period, the armies in the area—those of the United States and Spain—allowed the running of a ferry, enabling places such as Burr's Ferry in Vernon Parish, to prosper. The rest of the area was lawless, except for the occasional joint military venture to rid the area of "undesirables". However, even with the border dispute, several pioneers did settle the land during this period and were eventually given 3rd class homestead claims. The Adams-Onís Treaty, signed in 1819 and ratified in 1821, recognized the U.S. claim, setting the final Louisiana western border at the Sabine River.

Parish origin
In 1804, the United States organized present-day Louisiana as the Territory of Orleans. In 1805 the territory was further divided into 12 counties. Opelousas County included the entire southwestern section of the state, and extending almost to the Mississippi River in the northeast. By 1807 the counties were reorganized into parishes. St. Landry was one of the original nineteen civil parishes established by the Louisiana Legislature. St. Landry was the largest parish in Louisiana, called the Imperial St. Landry Parish. For a short period after the fall of New Orleans during the Civil War, Opelousas was not just the county seat but was the state capitol (until it was permanently moved to Baton Rouge). Calcasieu Parish was created March 24, 1840, from the western portion of Saint Landry Parish. Calcasieu Parish has since been divided into five smaller parishes. The original area of Calcasieu Parish was called Imperial Calcasieu Parish.

The bill to create Beauregard Parish out of the northern area of Imperial Calasieu Parish was passed in 1912 and took effect at the beginning of 1913. The Parish was named after P.G.T. Beauregard, a Confederate general.

Parish organization
Although one faction wanted the town of Singer to be the parish seat, DeRidder was chosen by a majority of voters on October 15, 1912. (Today, the unincorporated community of Singer still exists and includes a post office, store, and school.) The parish was organized with a police jury as the governing body. Interim, county-wide police jury, judge and justice were appointed. However, on December 3, 1912, an election was held for the offices of sheriff, clerk of court, assessor, coroner, superintendent of public education, police juror, justice of the peace, constable, and members of the school board in each of the wards in the parish.

Native Americans
At least four tribes lived in Beauregard Parish around the time it was founded. One was about six miles south of Sugartown on Indian Branch, another was just north of the old W.B. Welborn home on Bundick Creek, another was along the mouth of Anacoco Creek and another at Merryville, across the street from where Merryville High School now stands.

The 1941 military build-up
On November 28, 1941, a United Service Organizations was opened in DeRidder. (Of the more than 500 USO's opened during WW II, this was the first off-post USO to open in the U.S.) 89,000 soldiers visited the DeRidder USO; 15,000 took showers; and 27,000 viewed movies. The building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1992.

August through September 1941 saw the locally stationed military engaged in the Louisiana Maneuvers—the largest military maneuver in United States history (with more than 500,000 soldiers training for war). The rapid influx of so many military personnel created problems that stemmed, in part, from alcohol overconsumption. In response, residents of Beauregard Parish voted to become a dry parish.

Law enforcement
The parish level police agency is the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office. The current Sheriff (2020)is Mark V. Herford

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1166 sqmi, of which 1157 sqmi is land and 8.5 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 171.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 171
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 12 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 12
 * [[Image:Louisiana 26 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 26
 * [[Image:Louisiana 27 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 27

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * Vernon Parish (north)
 * Allen Parish (east)
 * Jefferson Davis Parish (southeast)
 * Calcasieu Parish (south)
 * Newton County, Texas (west)

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 36,549 people, 13,520 households, and 9,219 families residing in the parish.

Education
Beauregard Parish School Board operates the parish public schools.

It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.

National Guard
The A Company, 3-156th Infantry Battalion is based in De Ridder. This unit deployed to Iraq twice as part of the 256th IBCT, in 2004-5 and 2010.

City

 * DeRidder (parish seat and largest municipality)

Town

 * Merryville

Census-designated places

 * Longville
 * Oretta
 * Singer
 * Sugartown

Unincorporated communities

 * Dry Creek
 * Graybow
 * Junction
 * Ragley

National Register of Historic Places
There are 12 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places including the Beauregard Parish Courthouse, the Beauregard Parish Jail, the Beauregard Parish Training School, the DeRidder Commercial Historic District and the Burks House. See National Register of Historic Places listings in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana.

title: Beauregard Parish, Louisiana


text:
Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana

Avoyelles (Paroisse des Avoyelles) is a parish located in central eastern Louisiana on the Red River where it effectively becomes the Atchafalaya River and meets the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,693. The parish seat is Marksville. The parish was created in 1807, with the name deriving from the French name for the historic Avoyel people, one of the local Indian tribes at the time of European encounter.

Today the parish is the base of the federally recognized Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe, who have a reservation there. The tribe has a land-based gambling casino on their reservation. It is located in Marksville, the parish seat, which is partly within reservation land.

History
Native Americans occupied this area beginning around 300 BC. Varying indigenous cultures flourished there in the following centuries. Today on the banks of the old Mississippi River channel in Marksville, three large burial mounds have been preserved from the Mississippian culture, which flourished especially along the upper Mississippi, the Ohio River and other tributaries, from about 900 AD to 1500 AD. Mounds of its major city, Cahokia, are preserved in western Illinois across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. The trading network reached from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. A museum and a National Park commemorate this early culture.

The Tunica people had bands whose territory extended into the central Mississippi Valley. They absorbed the smaller remnant of Avoyel people nearly two centuries ago. Through the years, they also intermarried with the more numerous Biloxi people. The peoples organized politically in the 20th century and were federally recognized in 1981 as the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe. They are the largest Native American tribe in Avoyelles Parish and have a reservation that extends into Marksville. Descendants of other smaller tribes are also enrolled in this tribe.

Avoyelles Parish is known for its French colonial history and tradition of French language use. The contemporary Creole traditions, in both music and food, reflect European, African and Native American influences. While Avoyelles has a distinctive history of European immigrants, dominated by the French in its early history, it is considered the most northern of the 22 "Acadiana" parishes. These have a tradition of settlement by French-speaking refugees from Acadia (now eastern Canada) in the late 18th century. They contributed strongly to the development of culture in this area, as did Africans and the indigenous Native Americans. The parish is noted for its brand of Cajun/Creole style music and its gumbo, a popular soup with roots in the three major ethnicities noted above.

The central part of Avoyelles Parish is sited on a large plateau, slightly above the floodplain of the waterways. Travel by water was long the primary way to move around this area. The Indians used canoes, and the early French settlers developed their own boats, known as pirogues.

Records from the Catholic churches in Mansura and Marksville document the founding of a trading post and a Catholic school by French colonists. The merchants wanted to conduct fur trading with the Tunica Tribe and the missionaries hoped to convert the natives to Christianity. The trading post was built near the Avoyel/Tunica settlement; it was preserved until the mid-1960s. Historic roadside markers on LA 1 identify the site of the historic Catholic mission school.

Franco-European settlers first called this area Hydropolis, meaning water city, referring to the marshes and bayous. The major mode of transportation was by Indian canoe and pirogue (a French-style dug-out canoe). Church records identify settlers with all their family members listed, as well as some property; in some cases they listed slaves by name. Church records and documentation were recorded in French during the years of initial settlement, then in Spanish during their brief rule in the late 18th century, with a return to French after France reacquired the area under Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century.

After his troops failed to regain control over Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Napoleon withdrew from North America. He sold the large Louisiana Purchase territory in 1803 to the United States under President Thomas Jefferson. As the US expanded its rule, local documents began to be recorded in the English of the new government. The United States arranged for the Lewis and Clark Expedition and others to survey the Louisiana Territory. It hired local French soldiers, surveyors and doctors, many of whom eventually settled in the area.

Many of the French people who settled Avoyelles Parish immigrated from France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of the French words commonly used today in the parish date to terms used during the Napoleon period in France, indicating that this was the period of immigration. They have not been used in France for many generations.

The Spanish influence in Louisiana was more dominant in New Iberia — this was named after colonists from the Iberian Peninsula, commonly known as Spain and Portugal. There are no Spanish surnames in Avoyelles. A few families from French Canada (Quebec) settled in Avoyelles. They were from a different geographic area of Canada than the Acadians of present-day Nova Scotia, who were expelled by the British from their homeland (Acadie) beginning in 1755 during the Seven Years' War with France. Many deported Acadians eventually made it to Louisiana from 1764 - 1788, after several years of living in exile along the eastern Atlantic seaboard, Canada, St. Pierre and France.

In the later 19th century, immigrants from Scotland, Belgium, Italy, and Germany also settled here, following the French Creoles. Together they established today's towns and villages. Their direct ties to Europe set them apart from the Acadians (Cajuns) of southern Louisiana, who came from a culture established for generations in Canada. At the turn of the 19th century, free people of color of African-French descent also settled in Avoyelles. Many came from New Orleans, which had a large community of free people of color. Others were refugees from Saint-Domingue, where slaves had rebelled to gain independence as the nation of Haiti. Others came from other colonies in the French West Indies.

The blending of these three cultures: Native American, European and African, created a distinct Louisiana Creole culture noted in the local language, food, Catholic religion, and family ties.

In the 21st century, the Avoyelles Parish culture has been classified as "Cajun" because of the perceived similarities in speech, food, and various folk traditions with the more southern Acadian parishes. But, few families in Avoyelles are of Acadian descent. From the 1800s until the mid-1900s, local Confederate units and local newspaper reports in The Villager always referred to the Avoyelles French families as Creoles, the term for native-born people of direct descent from early French colonists and born in the colony.

Following the disastrous Great Flood of 1927, the US Army Corps of Engineers built a system of levees along the Mississippi River. It reduced immediate flooding in Marksville and other towns, but has caused indirect damage to the wetlands. This has ultimately caused more serious flooding as the speed of the river has increased.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 866 sqmi, of which 832 sqmi is land and 33 sqmi (3.8%) is water. The parish is bounded on the east by what was just the Red River in the first millennium CE, and is now the Red River and Atchafalaya River. The formation of the Atchafalaya River happened when the Mississippi River changed course, breaking up the Red River. In the 20th century the Old River Control Structure was built at this area to control the flow of the three rivers.

Major highways

 * I-49.svg Interstate 49
 * US 71.svg U.S. Highway 71
 * Louisiana 1 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 1
 * Louisiana 29 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 29
 * Louisiana 107 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 107

Adjacent parishes

 * La Salle Parish (north)
 * Catahoula Parish (north)
 * Concordia Parish (northeast)
 * West Feliciana Parish (east)
 * Pointe Coupee Parish (southeast)
 * St. Landry Parish (south)
 * Evangeline Parish (southwest)
 * Rapides Parish (west)

National protected areas

 * Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics
At the 2020 United States census, there were 39,693 people, 15,163 households, and 9,840 families residing in the parish, up from 42,073 residents in 2010. At the census of 2000, there were 41,481 people, 14,736 households, and 10,580 families living in the parish. The population density was 50 /mi2. There were 16,576 housing units at an average density of 20 /mi2.

In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 68.47% White, 29.49% Black or African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.64% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 2.12% speak Spanish. In 2020, its racial makeup was 63.58% non-Hispanic white, 26.83% Black or African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.1% multiracial, and 3.74% Hispanic or Latino American.

In 2000, there were 14,736 households, out of which 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.70% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $23,851, and the median income for a family was $29,389. Males had a median income of $27,122 versus $18,250 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,146. About 21.70% of families and 25.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 25.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education
All primary public schools are run by the Avoyelles Parish School Board. It operates 10 schools with an enrollment over 6,000 students. The school board website is Avoyelles Parish School Board.

Elementary

 * Cottonport Elementary
 * Bunkie Elementary
 * Lafargue Elementary
 * Marksville Elementary
 * Plaucheville Elementary
 * Riverside Elementary
 * Sacred Heart School, Moreauville
 * St. Anthony of Padua School, Bunkie
 * St. Joseph School, Plaucheville
 * St. Mary of the Assumption School, Cottonport
 * Avoyelles Public Charter School

High school

 * Avoyelles High School (Moreauville)
 * Avoyelles Public Charter School
 * Bunkie High School
 * LASAS (Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences)
 * Marksville High School
 * Red River Charter Academy
 * St. Joseph's High School of Plaucheville

National Guard
The 1020th Engineer Company (Vertical) of the 527th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in Marksville, Louisiana. The 1086TH Transportation Company of the 165TH CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion of the 139TH RSG (Regional Support Group) resides in Bunkie, Louisiana.

Cities

 * Bunkie
 * Marksville (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

 * Cottonport
 * Evergreen
 * Mansura
 * Simmesport

Villages

 * Hessmer
 * Moreauville
 * Plaucheville

DMA

 * Alexandria LA DMA

Census-designated places

 * Bordelonville
 * Center Point
 * Fifth Ward

Other unincorporated communities

 * Belle d'Eau
 * Belleville
 * Big Bend
 * Bodoc
 * Brouillette
 * Cassandra
 * Effie
 * Hamburg
 * Moncla
 * Vick
 * Yellow Bayou

Notable people
Artists, authors and entertainers:
 * Sue Eakin, historian, author of Avoyelles Parish: Crossroads of Louisiana
 * Alcide "Blind Uncle" Gaspard, early recording artist of traditional Cajun music.
 * Little Walter, Marion Walter Jacobs. musician and harmonica player, elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 * Ruth McEnery Stuart, Marksville
 * Solomon Northup, a free man from Saratoga Springs, New York, was held for nearly 12 years as a slave in Avoyelles Parish after being kidnapped and sold before the American Civil War; he was freed in 1853 by New York and Marksville officials after being traced here. Published his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave (1854), which became a best-selling book. It was adapted as a 2013 film of the same name, which won Academy Awards.

Athletes:
 * Mark Duper, Moreauville Miami Dolphins wide receiver
 * Allen Barbre, an American football offensive tackle who plays for the Denver Broncos.

Other:
 * John Baptist Lafargue (1864–?), American educator, newspaper publisher, editor
 * Norma McCorvey, "Jane Roe" in the landmark Roe v. Wade (1972) decision, in which the US Supreme Court ruled that women had a right to determine whether they would have an abortion.
 * Felix Eugene Moncla Jr., United States Air Force pilot who disappeared over Lake Superior in 1953.

Political leaders:
 * Bill Callegari, Republican former member of the Texas House of Representatives from Harris County; engineer and businessman in Katy, Texas, born in Cottonport in 1941
 * Edwin Washington Edwards, four-term governor of Louisiana.
 * Elaine Schwartzenburg Edwards, first wife of Edwin Edwards and appointed as U.S. Senator, serving August–November 1972
 * Harvey Fields, born in Avoyelles Parish, state senator for Union and Morehouse parishes from 1916 to 1920; member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission from 1927 to 1936; former law partner and political ally of Huey Pierce Long Jr.
 * Donald E. Hines, physician in Bunkie, politician and president of the Louisiana State Senate from 2004 to 2008
 * Jeannette Theriot Knoll, associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, retired 2016, a resident of Marksville
 * Tucker L. Melancon, Bunkie, Senior United States District Judge.
 * Charles Addison Riddle III, District Attorney, 2003–current, former state representative, 1992–2003.
 * Earl Barbry, chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe.
 * Horace Pierite Sr., chief of the Tunica-Biloxi tribe
 * Sesostrie Youchigant, chief of the Tunica-Biloxi tribe and last fluent Tunic language speaker

title: Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana


text:
Assumption Parish, Louisiana

Assumption Parish (Paroisse de l'Assomption, Parroquia de la Asunción) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,039. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the Territory of Orleans.

Assumption Parish is one of the twenty-two Acadiana parishes. Its major product is sugar cane. In proportion to its area, Assumption Parish produces the most sugar of any parish of Louisiana.

History
In 1807, Assumption became the eighth parish of the Orleans Territory. Its history is rooted in its waterways and its large expanse of fertile soils ideal for farming. Settled in the middle 18th century by French and Spanish settlers, the area retains strong cultural ties to its past with conversational French still common among residents. Assumption was also a final destination for many of the French Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia between 1755 and 1764.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 365 sqmi, of which 339 sqmi is land and 26 sqmi (7.1%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|25px]] Future Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 70 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 70
 * [[Image:Louisiana 308 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 308

Adjacent parishes

 * Iberville Parish (north)
 * Ascension Parish (north)
 * St. James Parish (northeast)
 * Lafourche Parish (east)
 * Terrebonne Parish (southeast)
 * St. Mary Parish (southwest)
 * Iberia Parish (northwest)
 * St. Martin Parish (west)

Village

 * Napoleonville (parish seat and only municipality)

Census-designated places

 * Bayou Corne
 * Bayou L'Ourse
 * Belle Rose
 * Labadieville
 * Paincourtville
 * Pierre Part
 * Supreme

Other unincorporated communities

 * Albemarle
 * Belle Alliance
 * Belle River
 * Bruly St. Martin
 * Cancienne
 * Foley
 * Klotzville
 * Plattenville
 * Westfield
 * Wildwood
 * Woodlawn

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,039 people, 8,552 households, and 5,484 families residing in the parish. During the 2010 United States census, there were 23,421 people living in the parish. Among its 2010 population, 66.8% were White, 30.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 2.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 38.2% were of French, French Canadian or Cajun and 9.4% American ancestry.

Education
The Assumption Parish School Board operates local public schools. Assumption High School serves the whole parish. There is one private school in the parish, Saint Elizabeth School, which was founded in 1834.
 * Assumption High School
 * Bayou L'Ourse Primary School
 * Belle Rose Middle School
 * Belle Rose Primary School
 * Labadieville Middle School
 * Labadieville Primary School
 * Napoleonville Middle School
 * Napoleonville Primary School
 * Pierre Part Elementary School
 * Saint Elizabeth School

National Guard
The 928th Sapper Company, a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion and the 225th Engineer Brigade.

Politics
Assumption Parish is represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives by Beryl Amedee, a Republican, and Chad Brown, a Democrat. During the "Solid South" era, conflicts over trade policy often caused Assumption Parish to deviate somewhat from overwhelming Democratic support, as did rebellion in the Acadiana region against Woodrow Wilson's perceived hostility towards France.

Since the Dixiecrat revolt, by contrast, Assumption has been a typical rural South Louisiana parish in its political behaviour. It backed Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond in 1948 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 before showing powerful pro-Catholic behaviour in 1960 and then turning powerfully against liberal Midwestern Democrats in 1968 and 1972. With the nomination of the more centrist Southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976, Assumption became again Democratic leaning until the 2000s, when, like all of the rural white South, it has turned powerfully Republican due to disagreements with the Democratic Party's liberal views on social issues.

Notable people

 * Kim Willoughby, American indoor volleyball player, 2008 U.S. volleyball Olympian, former University of Hawaii volleyball player, 2003 AVCA NCAA National Player of the Year
 * Charles Melançon, former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives
 * Troy E. Brown, a former member of the Louisiana State Senate
 * Brandon Jacobs, two-time Super bowl winner, former running back for the New York Giants
 * Johnny Meads, is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League Houston Oilers Washington Redskins
 * J. E. Jumonville Sr., was a businessman, farmer, and horse breeder born in Paincourtville state senator
 * Samuel A. LeBlanc I, was a lawyer from Napoleonville born in Paincourtville in Assumption Parish
 * Whitmell P. Martin, was a U.S. Representative from Assumption Parish Louisiana from 1915 to 1929.

title: Assumption Parish, Louisiana


text:
Ascension Parish, Louisiana

Ascension Parish (Paroisse de l'Ascension; Parroquia de la Ascensión) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.

Ascension Parish is one of the 22 parishes that make up Acadiana, the heartland of the Cajun people and their culture. This is exhibited by the prevalence of the French or Cajun French language heard throughout the parish, as well as the many festivals celebrated by its residents, including the Boucherie Festival, Lagniappe Music and Seafood Festival, Crawfish Festival, and the Jambalaya Festival. The largest incorporated city in Ascension Parish, Gonzales, is celebrated as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World".

History
Early European settlers of the area that was developed as Ascension and Gonzales were, for the most part, of French and Spanish ancestry. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area.

Among the projects and plans carried out by Luis de Unzaga 'le Conciliateur' while he was governor of Louisiana between 1769 and 1777 was the promotion of new settlements by Europeans, among them were French Acadians and Malaga in the fertile Mississippi region and more specifically in the Unzaga Post or 'Puesto de Unzaga' that he created in 1771 in Pointe Coupee, the parish of Saint Gabriel in 1773 and Fort Manchac in 1776; the Ascension people occupied land at the confluence of the aforementioned European settlements.

During the historic 2016 Louisiana Floods, around one-third of all homes in Ascension Parish were flooded; 15,000 homes and businesses took on water, mostly in the Galvez-St. Amant area, prompting a visit to St. Amant by then-presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 303 sqmi, of which 290 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (4.2%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest parish in Louisiana by total area.

Waterways

 * Alligator Bayou
 * Amite River
 * Amite River Diversion Canal
 * Anderson Canal
 * Babin Canal
 * Bayou Antoine
 * Bayou Manchac
 * Bayou Narcisse
 * Bayou Pierre
 * Bayou Reponds Pas
 * Bayou Conway
 * Bayou Francois
 * Bayou Lafourche
 * Bayou Napoleon
 * Bayou Verret
 * Bayou Vicknair
 * Black Bayou
 * Blind River
 * Boudreau Bayou
 * Boyle Bayou
 * Braud Bayou
 * Cocodrie Bayou
 * Cotton Bayou
 * Crowley Ditch
 * Duckroost Bayou
 * Flat Lake
 * Grand Goudine Bayou
 * Hackett Canal
 * Heath Bayou
 * Henderson Bayou
 * Jim Bayou
 * Johnson Bayou
 * Lake Millet
 * Lake Villars
 * Laurel Ridge Canal
 * McCall Bayou
 * Mississippi River
 * Muddy Creek
 * New River
 * New River Canal
 * Old New River
 * Panama Canal
 * Pipeline Canal
 * Rocky Canal
 * Roddy Bayou
 * Saveiro Canal
 * Sides Bayou
 * Smith Bayou
 * Spanish Lake
 * Welsh Gully

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:US 61.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 61
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 16 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 16
 * [[Image:Louisiana 18 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 18
 * [[Image:Louisiana 22 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 22
 * [[Image:Louisiana 30 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 30
 * [[Image:Louisiana 42 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 42
 * [[Image:Louisiana 44 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 44
 * [[Image:Louisiana 70 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 70
 * [[Image:Louisiana 73 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 73
 * [[Image:Louisiana 308 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 308

Adjacent parishes

 * East Baton Rouge Parish (north)
 * Livingston Parish (northeast)
 * St. John the Baptist Parish (east)
 * St. James Parish (southeast)
 * Assumption Parish (southwest)
 * Iberville Parish (west)

Cities

 * Donaldsonville (parish seat)
 * Gonzales

Town

 * Sorrento

Census-designated places

 * Darrow
 * Lemannville
 * Prairieville

Unincorporated communities

 * Aben
 * Acy
 * Barmen
 * Barton
 * Belle Helene
 * Bowden
 * Brignac
 * Brittany
 * Brusly McCall
 * Bullion
 * Burnside
 * Cofield
 * Cornerview
 * Duckroost
 * Duplessis
 * Dutchtown
 * Galvez
 * Geismar
 * Hillaryville
 * Hobart
 * Hohen Solms
 * Hope Villa
 * Lake
 * Little Prairie
 * McElroy
 * Marchand
 * Miles
 * Modeste
 * Mount Houmas
 * Oak Grove
 * Noel
 * Palo Alto
 * Philadelphia Point
 * Saint Elmo
 * Saint Amant
 * Smoke Bend
 * Southwood
 * Weber City

Demographics
In 1810, the parish had a population of 2,219; since then, its population has steadily increased despite some decades of population decline. In 1900, the parish's population reached a first historic high of 24,142 before increasing again to 58,214 at the 1990 U.S. census. At the 2010 census, Ascension Parish's population grew to 107,215; and at the 2020 United States census, there were 126,500 people, 44,267 households, and 32,305 families residing in the parish.

Having historic settlement by French and Spanish colonials during the periods of French and Spanish Louisiana, Ascension Parish's racial and ethnic composition has remained predominantly non-Hispanic white throughout a portion of its history. With the greater diversification of the United States at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic white residents were 62.96% of the total population. Black or African American Louisianians and others made up 23.95% of the population, followed by Hispanics or Latinos of any race (8.21%), Asians (1.33%), multiracial Americans (3.32%), Native Americans (0.21%), and Pacific Islanders (0.03%).

Among its residents at the 2021 American Community Survey's 1-year estimates program, households had a median income of $72,662 and mean income of $92,143. Families had a median income of $85,632; married-couple families $111,445; and non-family households $32,498. Overall, residents of Ascension Parish are wealthier than nearby East Baton Rouge Parish.

Religiously and spiritually, Christianity is the dominant religion for the parish. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church was the single-largest Christian denomination for the parish, served primarily by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. The overall Catholic population in Ascension Parish was 39,260 in 2020. Non-denominational or inter-denominational Christian churches—whether independent Bible churches, United and Uniting, etc.—were the second largest Christian group in the parish with 9,430 members. Collectively, Baptists throughout the Southern Baptist Convention, Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, and National Baptist Convention of America made up 5,043 religious adherents. Parish-wide Protestant statistics reflect an increase in non- or inter-denominational Christianity throughout Louisiana, outgrowing Methodism as the second-largest Protestant group for the state per the Association of Religion Data Archives 2020 religion census; the growth of non/inter-denominational Christianity for the area represented a broader trend nationwide, where the movement began to constitute the largest segment of American Protestantism.

Education
Ascension Parish School Board operates the local public schools. The parish is also home to private schools and—since 1998, to River Parishes Community College.

Media
Two newspapers are based in Ascension Parish's two cities, Donaldsonville and Gonzales. The Gonzales Weekly Citizen is a bi-weekly newspaper formed after the merger of The Gonzales Weekly (founded 1920) and The Ascension Citizen (founded 1996). The Donaldsonville Chief, founded in 1871, is the parish's longest-continually-published newspaper.

Law, government and politics
On March 8, 2017, Ascension Parish President Kenneth Paul "Kenny" Matassa (born September 12, 1949), a Republican, along with Olin Glenn Berthelot (born August 1948), a Democratic businessman from Gonzales, faced indictment in an attempted bribery scheme. The pair is charged with encouraging a candidate to withdraw from a local election on November 8, 2016.

The grand jury released its true bill to Judge Tess Stromberg of the 23rd Judicial District Court in Ascension, Assumption, and St. James parishes. Among those who testified in the case were Democratic Gonzales City Council member Neal Bourqueat. Matassa and Berthelot allegedly bribed the Democrat A. Wayne Lawson with offers of money and a government job to drop out of the city council race in Division E against Bourque, who nevertheless won reelection with 61 percent of the ballots cast.

Matassa and Berthelot turned themselves in to authorities and posted a $5,000 bond. Reports, meanwhile, surfaced of a move before the parish council calling for Matassa to resign. He cannot be forced from the office, however, unless convicted of the crime. Matassa and Berthelot could have received up to two years in state prison either with or without hard time and/or a fine of $2,000. Matassa was instead acquitted in July 2018 of the election bribery allegations and returned to his duties as parish president with a legal cloud lifted from his shoulders.

National Guard
The 922nd Engineer Company (Horizontal), a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion and the 225th Engineer Brigade. The 1021st Vertical Engineer Company also resides in Gonzales, Louisiana.

title: Ascension Parish, Louisiana


text:
Allen Parish, Louisiana

Allen Parish (Paroisse d'Allen) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,750. The parish seat is Oberlin and the largest city is Oakdale. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria.

Allen Parish is named for former Confederate States Army general and Governor of Louisiana Henry Watkins Allen. It was separated in 1912 from the larger Calcasieu Parish to the southwest.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 766 sqmi, of which 762 sqmi is land and 4.1 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Allen Parish is bordered on the east by Evangeline Parish, on the south by Jefferson Davis Parish, and on the west by Beauregard Parish. Rapides Parish and Vernon Parish both border Allen Parish on the north. Allen Parish may be considered to belong to either the Southwest Louisiana region or to Central Louisiana. It is bordered on the east by Acadiana (Evangeline Parish). Part of Allen Parish, west of the Calcasieu River, lies within the historical "No Man's Land" or Neutral Ground of disputed territory between the US and Spain.

The geologic composition of Allen Parish, like most of Louisiana, is clay and mud.

Ecoregionally, Allen Parish primarily lies within the South Central Plains (USGS ecoregion 35), particularly the Flatwoods (ecoregion 35f), but also a bit of the Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) in the northwestern corner of the parish. The southeastern corner of the parish, is in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain (ecoregion 34), specifically the Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies (34a). The Calcasieu river forms the primary boundary between the piney woods and prairie regions of the parish.

Waterways

 * Bundick Creek
 * Calcasieu River
 * Ouiski Chitto Creek
 * Six Mile Creek
 * Ten Mile Creek

Protected area

 * West Bay Wildlife Management Area

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,750 people, 7,925 households, and 5,566 families residing in the parish.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,440 people, 8,102 households, and 5,930 families residing in the parish. The population density was 33 /mi2. There were 9,157 housing units at an average density of 12 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 71.90% White, 24.60% Black or African American, 1.72% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 4.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 6.22% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 4.68% speak Spanish.

There were 8,102 households, out of which 36.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% were married couples living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 20.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 126.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.50 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $27,777, and the median income for a family was $33,920. Males had a median income of $32,371 versus $17,154 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,101. About 17.90% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.60% of those under age 18 and 21.50% of those age 65 or over.

The most populated city as of the 2000 census was Oakdale, LA.

Economy
Allen Parish had 303 employer establishments in 2021, with a total employment of 3,513. Allen Parish's gross domestic product in 2022 was $898,617.

Lumber production is a strong industry in the parish, particularly in the area of Oakdale.

The Coushatta Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, is located in Kinder and employs about 2,600 people.

According to the Kinder Chamber of Commerce, "the gaming and hospitality industries, along with a plywood manufacturing facility, three prison facilities and a natural gas relay facility are the major private sector employers in the parish." The primary crops are rice and soybeans.

Arts and culture
The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana's territory is bounded within Allen and Jefferson Davis parishes, and the tribe maintains traditional creative expressions such as music, dance, and fiber arts. An annual powwow celebrating these arts takes place at the Coushatta Casino Resort near Kinder.

Allen Parish is the origin of several notable musicians: blues singer Roy Brown, and zydeco musicians Preston Frank and his son Keith Frank.

The Allen Parish Tourism Commission operates the Allen Parish Cultural Center near Kinder.

On September 27, 2008, the Allen Parish Tourist Commission opened Leatherwood Museum in Oakdale in a two-story house which served during the early 20th century as a hospital where women waited on the second-floor balcony to deliver their babies. The museum focuses on the history of agriculture and timber.

Politics
Allen was a strongly Democratic parish in Presidential and Congressional elections; the last Republican to win a majority in the parish before 2000 was Richard Nixon in 1972. Starting in 2000, when George W. Bush narrowly won the parish, Allen has become a Republican stronghold; John McCain won nearly two-thirds of the parish's vote in 2008.

Allen is part of Louisiana's 4th congressional district, held by Republican Mike Johnson. In the Louisiana House of Representatives Allen is part of the 32nd district, held by Republican R. DeWitt Carrier. In the Louisiana Senate Allen is part of the 28th district, held by Republican Heather Cloud.

Education
Residents are zoned to Allen Parish Schools

There is a private school, Oberlin Covenant School, in Oberlin. it was the parish's sole private school.

It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.

Media
Allen Parish's newspapers are The Oakdale Journal and The Kinder Courier News, owned by Louisiana State Newspapers, Inc.

Allen Parish is home to one FM radio station, KKST-FM, an urban contemporary station in Oakdale. Oakdale listeners receive signals from Alexandria and Lafayette stations, while those in Kinder tend to receive from Lafayette and Lake Charles.

For television, Oakdale is served by Alexandria stations KATC (ABC and CW), and KALB (NBC, CBS, and CW). Kinder and Oberlin primarily receive Lake Charles station KPLC (NBC and CW).

Transportation
Transportation in Allen Parish relies on highways and parish roads. The nearest long-distance bus stations are in Alexandria, Opelousas, Lafayette, and Lake Charles.

US 165 runs North–South. The other major highways, which are US 190, LA 10, and LA 26, run East–West.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 10 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 10
 * [[Image:Louisiana 26 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 26

National Guard
Detachment 1, B Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion of the 256TH IBCT resided in Oakdale, Louisiana. This unit deployed twice to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010. Armory was closed, elements moved to Camp Beauregard.

City

 * Oakdale (largest municipality)

Towns

 * Elizabeth
 * Kinder
 * Oberlin (parish seat)

Village

 * Reeves

Unincorporated communities

 * Bond
 * Canton
 * Cherry Grove
 * Elder
 * Grant
 * Lauderdale
 * Le Blanc
 * Mittie

Notable people

 * Roy Brown (1925–1981), R&B singer, songwriter, and musician
 * William J. "Bill" Dodd (1909–1991), Louisiana lieutenant governor from 1948 to 1952 and Louisiana state representative from 1940 to 1948
 * Faye Emerson (1917–1983), film and stage actress and television interviewer
 * Beau Jocque (1953–1999), Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter
 * Douglas B. Fournet (1943–1968), posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War
 * Preston Frank (born 1947), zydeco accordionist and band leader
 * Keith Frank (born 1972), zydeco accordionist and band leader
 * Hoyle Granger (born 1944), former American football player in the NFL. Member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
 * Gilbert Franklin Hennigan (1883–1960), Louisiana state senator from 1944 to 1956.
 * Dorothy Sue Hill (born 1939), rancher and retired educator. Former Louisiana state representative for the 32nd District.
 * Leroy Johnson (1919–1944), posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II
 * E. Holman Jones (1926–2014), United States Navy veteran of World War II and Louisiana state representative from 1968 to 1972
 * Coleman Lindsey (1892–1968), Louisiana state senator from 1924 to 1928 and 1932–1939. Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1939 to 1940
 * Mary Evelyn Parker (1920–2015), first female Treasurer of Louisiana from 1968 to 1987
 * R.C. Slocum (born 1944), former head football coach at Texas A&M
 * Blake Trahan (born 1993), former professional baseball shortstop with the Cincinnati Reds

title: Allen Parish, Louisiana


text:
Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Acadia Parish (Paroisse de l'Acadie) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,576. The parish seat and the most populous municipality is Crowley. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish in 1886, and later an election was held to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne and Prairie Hayes. Acadia Parish is included in the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.

History
The name of the parish is derived from the former French colony of Acadia in Canada (which consisted of the modern provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and much of Maine). After Britain defeated France in the Seven Years War, they took control of their North American colonies east of the Mississippi River. They required ethnic French Acadians to take a loyalty oath and never got over their suspicions of them. They deported many of the French-speaking inhabitants to France. From there, some joined others who had migrated directly to the French colony of La Louisiane (Louisiana) in what was known as the Great Upheaval. (see Cajuns).

The parish was formed from the southwestern portion of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. On May 19, 1886, a bill was introduced in the Louisiana state house entitled "An act to create the parish of Nicholls, and to provide for the organization thereof." The title was later changed to read: "An act to create the parish of Acadia." Father Joseph Anthonioz, the first pastor of the Catholic Church at Rayne, is credited with having suggested the name, Acadia Parish. The bill passed the house on June 11, the senate on June 28, and was approved by Governor Samuel D. McEnery on June 30.

On October 6, an election was held to affirm the creation of the parish, with 2,516 votes for and 1,521 votes against the creation. The population of the new parish was from 10,000 to 12,000. Acadia Parish population in 1890 was 13,231.

After a close election held on March 1, 1887, Crowley was chosen as the parish seat, gathering 698 votes to Rayne's and Prairie Hayes' 560 and 519, respectively. The election also determined the first officers in the parish: Elridge W. Lyons, first sheriff of Acadia; and R. T. Clark, first clerk of court. The first courthouse was constructed in Crowley and completed on June 30, 1888. It continued to be used until May 1, 1902, when it was destroyed to make way for the second building.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 657 sqmi, of which 655 sqmi are land and 2.3 sqmi (0.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 13 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 13
 * [[Image:Louisiana 35 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 35
 * [[Image:Louisiana 91 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 91
 * [[Image:Louisiana 92 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 92
 * [[Image:Louisiana 95 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 95
 * [[Image:Louisiana 97 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 97
 * [[Image:Louisiana 98 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 98
 * [[Image:Louisiana 365 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 365
 * [[Image:Louisiana 370 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 370
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1111 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1111

Adjacent parishes

 * Evangeline Parish (north)
 * St. Landry Parish (northeast)
 * Lafayette Parish (east)
 * Vermilion Parish (south)
 * Jefferson Davis Parish (west)

Cities

 * Crowley (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Eunice
 * Rayne

Towns

 * Basile
 * Church Point
 * Duson
 * Iota

Villages

 * Estherwood
 * Mermentau
 * Morse

Census-designated places

 * Branch
 * Egan

Other communities

 * Arceneaux
 * Bates
 * Bluff
 * Castile
 * Deshotel
 * Ebenezer
 * Ellis
 * Evangeline
 * Frey
 * Gatte's Cove
 * Gumpoint
 * Hundley
 * Judd
 * Keystone
 * LeJeune Cove
 * Link
 * Little Japan
 * Lyons Point
 * Maxie
 * Mermentau Cove
 * Midland
 * Millerville
 * Mire (formerly Marais Bouleur and Bosco)
 * Mowata
 * Peach Bloom
 * Pitreville
 * Pointe Noire
 * Prairie Hayes
 * Prudhomme
 * Richard
 * Ritchie
 * Robert's Cove
 * Rork
 * Shortbread
 * Tepetate
 * Tortue
 * Tee Mamou
 * Whitehouse
 * Williams

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 57,576 people, 22,236 households, and 15,519 families residing in the parish. At the 2010 United States census, 61,773 people were residing in the parish, and 58,861 people at the 2000 United States census. In 2019, the American Community Survey estimated 62,045 people lived in the parish.

According to the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 77.4% non-Hispanic white, 17.4% Black and African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian alone, 0.3% some other race, 2.8% two or more races, and 2.6% Hispanic and Latin American of any race. In 2010, 79.5% were White American, 18.1% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% some other race, and 1.3% of two or more races; 1.7% were Hispanic or Latin American of any race.

Among the population in 2019, 73.8% were aged 18 and older, and 14.9% aged 65 and older; 7.0% were aged 5 and under. The median age was 36.7, and 27.4% were of French heritage; 9.3% were German, 4.2% English, 4.1% Irish, 0.5% sub-Saharan African, 0.4% Scottish, 0.1% Norwegian, and 0.1% Polish in ancestry. Among the population in 2010, 43.7% were of French, French Canadian or Cajun, 10.8% American, and 8.0% German ancestry. Approximately 10% of the parish spoke a language other than English at home.

There were 22,236 households spread among 26,435 housing units. There was a home-ownership rate of 71.1% with an average of 3.31 people per household; an estimated 32% of the population living in the parish were never married, and 26.2% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them. The median gross rent was $662, and the median household value was $118,000. The median monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,083, and $312 without a mortgage.

An estimated 1,120 businesses operated in the parish, and the median household income was $43,396; the mean income was $61,465. The parish had a 52.6% employment rate, and 24.2% of the total population lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.

Arts and culture
Many festivals and cultural celebrations are held annually in Acadia Parish, including the International Rice Festival in Crowley, Frog Festival in Rayne, and Buggy Festival in Church Point. Cajun food and music, both specialties of the local population, feature prominently in these festivals.

Several communities in Acadia Parish celebrate the tradition of Courir de Mardi Gras. Disguised with masks and costumes, Cajuns travel through their rural neighborhoods, making merry while begging for gumbo ingredients. The gumbo is the centerpiece of a communal supper and dance.

Education
Acadia Parish is served by Acadia Parish Schools.
 * Acadia Parish Head Start - Church Point
 * Church Point Elementary (grades PK-5) (Church Point)
 * Church Point Middle (grades 6–8) (Church Point)
 * Church Point High (grades 9–12) (Church Point)
 * Acadia Parish Head Start - Rayne
 * Central Rayne Kindergarten (grades PK-1) (Rayne)
 * Martin Petitjean Elementary (grades 1–3) (Rayne)
 * South Rayne Elementary (grades 4–5) (Rayne)
 * Armstrong Middle (grades 6–8) (Rayne)
 * Rayne High (grades 9–12) (Rayne)
 * Acadia Parish Head Start - Crowley
 * Crowley Kindergarten (grades PK-K) (Crowley)
 * North Crowley Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley)
 * Ross Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley)
 * South Crowley Elementary (grades K-5) (Crowley)
 * Crowley Middle (grades 6–8) (Crowley)
 * Iota Elementary (grades PK-5) (Iota)
 * Iota Middle (grades 6–8) (Iota)
 * Iota High (grades 9–12) (Iota)
 * Acadia Parish Head Start - Estherwood
 * Branch Elementary (grades PK-8) (Branch)
 * Egan Elementary (grades PK-8) (Egan)
 * Estherwood Elementary (grades PK-7) (Estherwood)
 * Evangeline Elementary (grades PK-8) (Evangeline)
 * Mermentau Elementary (grades PK-7) (Mermentau)
 * Mire Elementary (grades PK-8) (unincorporated Rayne)
 * Morse Elementary (grades PK-7) (Morse)
 * Richard Elementary (grades PK-8) (unincorporated Church Point)
 * Crowley High (grades 9–12) (unincorporated Crowley)
 * Midland High (grades 8–12) (unincorporated Midland)

Acadia Parish is also served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette with five schools:
 * St. Francis School (grades PK-8) (Iota)
 * Rayne Catholic Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Rayne)
 * St. Michael Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Crowley)
 * Our Mother of Peace Elementary School (grades PK-8) (Church Point)
 * Notre Dame High School (grades 9–12) (Crowley)

Additionally, Acadia Parish is served by one unaffiliated private school:
 * Northside Christian School (grades PK-12) (Crowley)

Acadia Parish is served by two institutions of higher education:
 * Louisiana State University, Eunice (Eunice)
 * South Louisiana Community College service area: Acadian Campus (Crowley)

Acadia Parish Library operates branches in the parish.

National Guard
C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Crowley, Louisiana. As part of the 256th IBCT, this unit deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010.

Politics
Historically, along with the rest of Louisiana, Acadia Parish strongly supported the Democratic Party, with support waning throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Following Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election bid, Acadia Parish has voted exclusively for Republican candidates at the presidential level.

Notable people

 * Bill Cleveland, Crowley real estate developer and member of both houses of Louisiana state legislature from 1944 to 1964; defeated for third term in state senate in 1964 by Edwin Edwards
 * George Stanley, sculptor for the design of the Oscar statue and the Muse Sculpture at the Hollywood Bowl
 * Mary Alice Fontenot, journalist and author of children's books and books on Louisiana history
 * Sidney Brown, a musician from Church Point (October 28, 1906 - August 6, 1981) who was known as one of the first accordion makers and repairmen in Louisiana. Brown also has the distinction of having recorded the third-best selling Cajun music album of all-time (Noir Chaussette's "Two Step/Pestauche Taunte Na Na").
 * John Breaux, a retired U.S. Senator, is a native of Acadia Parish.
 * Edwin Edwards, a former Louisiana governor (four terms), lived and worked in Acadia Parish for many years. His political career began on the Crowley City Council.
 * Tony Robichaux, former head baseball coach at University of Louisiana at Lafayette and McNeese State University

title: Acadia Parish, Louisiana


text:
Talk:Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska

Untitled
Wondering how to edit this U.S. Alaskan Census Area Entry? The WikiProject U.S. Counties standards might help.

External links modified
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not a borough
Need someone with better code-fu than myself to fix this. The article uses Infobox U.S. county, which, when Alaska is selected for the state parameter, causes it to incorrectly display at the top of the box that this is a borough (Alaska version of a county). This is clearly incorrect, this is a census-designated area and part of the Unorganized Borough which has no local government. The article does a poor job of explaining this and appears to contradict itself, I can work on that. I tried just converting it Infobox settlement, but when I previewed that edit it clearly did not work. Beeblebrox (talk) 22:41, 15 April 2020 (UTC)
 * hello! Per Template:Infobox U.S. county, seems like we can override the "borough" using the  parameter. Special:Diff/951200879 shows it works as I'd expected. Thanks for your contributions, and stay well! Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 00:26, 16 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks! Beeblebrox (talk) 00:59, 16 April 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska


text:
Talk:Valdez–Cordova Census Area, Alaska

Untitled
Wondering how to edit this U.S. Alaskan Census Area Entry? The WikiProject U.S. Counties standards might help.

Split of census area
The change to this article and related content was perhaps a bit hasty and is yet another example of Wikipedians pulling facts out of thin air merely because they can be sourced. I clicked on the source and found the following in the second paragraph:"Note: The Census Bureau does not have maps illustrating the boundary changes listed on this web page. Contact the state or county governments affected for more specific information about these changes."Since this is part of the Unorganized Borough, the state would be solely responsible for providing those maps. Going to the pertinent page, you see nothing which reflects this change, despite the note stating that the maps are based on 2019 data. I doubt there will be anything reflecting the change until finalized data from the 2020 Census is released. RadioKAOS / Talk to me, Billy / Transmissions 17:50, 2 March 2020 (UTC)

 * Hi RadioKAOS, the split is not "Wikipedians pulling facts out of thin air" the split is sourced from the census.gov site that I think can be considered a very reliable source for it happening. The problem you reasonably have is with the maps/boundaries as no final official declaration appears to have been publicly made (that I could find), however no maps of new boundaries have been included on this page, and nor should they (IMHO). Courtesy ping as they were the editor to update this article and List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska which is the only reason reason I noticed (because of the errors flagged). Cheers KylieTastic (talk) 23:35, 2 March 2020 (UTC)
 * I have access to in-depth census data. That's the problem, though.  Whatever information folks have pulled off the web over the years makes no mention of census subareas.  And since I haven't studied census data in-depth for the other 49 states, I don't know if this is a standard feature of census geography or if it's an anomaly to account for Alaska's unique local government structure.  IF (big variable) any paper sources exist for the 2010 Census, they may contain the answer to this puzzle.  Since I'm in a place with such resources, I'll try to dig it up in what little time I have today.  Otherwise, I'll have to get back with you. RadioKAOS / Talk to me, Billy / Transmissions  23:53, 2 March 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Valdez–Cordova Census Area, Alaska