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Morehouse Parish, Louisiana

Morehouse Parish  (  French:Paroisse de Morehouse)is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,629. The parish seat is Bastrop. The parish was formed in 1844.

Morehouse Parish comprises the Bastrop, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Monroe–Ruston–Bastrop, LA Combined Statistical Area.

History
Francois Bonaventure built a house on 2000~acre tract in 1775 in Bastrop, Louisiana.

Morehouse Parish is named after Colonel Abraham Morehouse, who served in the Revolutionary War.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Morehouse County was a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan. During the trial for the 1922 Lynchings of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, many witnesses testified that county officials including Sheriff Fred Carpenter, his deputies, the district attorney, and the postmaster were Klan members. However, the grand jury, itself likely made up largely of Klan members, dismissed the case.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 806 sqmi, of which 795 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

Major highways

 * US 165.svg U.S. Highway 165
 * US 425.svg U.S. Highway 425
 * Louisiana 2 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 2
 * Louisiana 133 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 133
 * Louisiana 134 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 134

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * Union County, Arkansas (northwest)
 * Ashley County, Arkansas (north)
 * Chicot County, Arkansas (northeast)
 * West Carroll Parish (east)
 * Richland Parish (southeast)
 * Ouachita Parish (southwest)
 * Union Parish (west)

National protected areas

 * Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge
 * Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (part)

City

 * Bastrop (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

 * Bonita
 * Collinston
 * Mer Rouge
 * Oak Ridge

Unincorporated Communities

 * Beekman
 * Bordenax
 * Counters Neck
 * Galion
 * Geddie
 * Gum Ridge
 * Haynes Landing
 * Humphreys
 * Jones
 * Laark
 * Log Cabin
 * Marcarco
 * McGinty
 * Naff
 * New Land Grove Landing
 * Oak Landing
 * Perryville
 * Point Pleasant
 * Robinson
 * Spyker
 * Stampley
 * Stevenson
 * Upland
 * Usarco
 * Vaughn
 * Wardville
 * Windsor

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,021 people, 11,382 households, and 8,320 families living in the parish. The population density was 39 /mi2. There were 12,711 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 55.76% White, 43.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the 2010 United States census, there were 27,979 people living in the parish. 51.3% were White, 46.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% of some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,629 people, 9,732 households, and 6,194 families residing in the parish.

In 2000, there were 11,382 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.10% were married couples living together, 19.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.10 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $25,124 in 2000, and the median income for a family was $31,358. Males had a median income of $31,385 versus $18,474 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,197. About 21.30% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 23.80% of those age 65 or over.

Law enforcement
The Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office (MPSO) is the primary law enforcement agency of Morehouse Parish. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. the sheriff of Morehouse Parish is Mike Tubbs.

The Sheriff's Office operates the following facilities:

 * Headquarters - The headquarters building is located at 351 South Franklin Street in Bastrop.
 * Morehouse Parish Jail - The Morehouse Parish Jail is located at 250 East Walnut Street in Bastrop. The jail presently houses approximately 70 inmates, and employs twenty full-time and part-time Corrections Officers.
 * Morehouse Parish Detention Center - The Morehouse Parish Detention Center is located at 6444 Patey Road in Collinston. The Detention Center presently houses approximately 272 inmates, and employs thirty three Correction Officers.

Since the formation of the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office, one deputy has been killed in the line of duty.

Politics
In 1975, Edwards Barham, a farmer and businessman from Oak Ridge in Morehouse Parish, became the first Republican elected to the Louisiana State Senate since the era of Reconstruction. Barham won his seat by eighty-nine votes. He was unseated after a single term in office in 1979 by the Democrat David 'Bo' Ginn of Bastrop.

In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Morehouse Parish cast 6,591 votes (52.3 percent) for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. U.S. President Barack Obama trailed with 5,888 ballots (46.7 percent). In 2008, Republican John McCain prevailed in Morehouse Parish with 7,258 votes (55 percent) to Barack Obama's 5,792 ballots (43.9 percent).

Education
Morehouse Parish School Board operates local public schools.

National Guard
The 1023rd Engineer Company (Vertical) of the 528th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in Bastrop.

title: Morehouse Parish, Louisiana


text:
Madison Parish, Louisiana

Madison Parish (French: Paroisse de Madison) is a parish located on the northeastern border of the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the delta lowlands along the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,017. Its parish seat is Tallulah. The parish was formed in 1839.

With a history of cotton plantations and pecan farms, the parish economy continues to be primarily agricultural. It has a majority African-American population. For years a ferry connected Delta, Louisiana (and traffic from the parish) to Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Vicksburg Bridge now carries U.S. Route 80 and Interstate 20 across the river into Madison Parish.

Prehistory
Madison Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before European settlement. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and earthwork mound complexes throughout the area. Notable examples include the Fitzhugh Mounds and the Raffman site.

Historic tribes which were encountered by European colonists include the Taensa and Natchez peoples, who both spoke the Natchez language.

European settlement to present
The parish is named for former U.S. President James Madison. As was typical of northern areas of Louisiana, and especially along the Mississippi River, it was developed for cotton agriculture on large plantations worked by large groups of enslaved African Americans.

Following the Reconstruction era and during the Jim Crow era, white Democrats across the state violently suppressed black voting, which was for Republican candidates, and civil rights. Twelve blacks were lynched in Madison Parish from 1877 to 1950, most near the turn of the 20th century when social and economic tensions were the highest. In addition, in July 1899 five immigrant Sicilian grocers were lynched by whites in Tallulah, the parish seat, for failing to observe Jim Crow customs of serving whites before blacks and because they were competing with locals with their stores.

Civil rights legislation in 1965 enabled more African Americans to exercise their constitutional rights to register and vote in Madison Parish, and they began to elect candidates of their choice to local offices. In 1969 Zelma Wyche was elected as Police Chief of Tallulah. In 1974 Adell Williams was elected as mayor, the first African American to fill this position.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 651 sqmi, of which 624 sqmi is land and 26 sqmi (4.1%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-20.svg|25px]] Interstate 20
 * [[Image:US 65.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 65
 * [[Image:US 80.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 80
 * [[Image:Louisiana 603 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 603

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * East Carroll Parish (north)
 * Warren County, Mississippi (east)
 * Tensas Parish (south)
 * Franklin Parish (southwest)
 * Richland Parish (northwest)

National protected areas

 * Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Vicksburg National Military Park (part)

Cities

 * Tallulah (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

 * Delta
 * Mound
 * Richmond

Demographics
Because of limited job opportunities as agriculture has mechanized and the Chicago Lumber Mill closed, the parish population has declined overall by about one-third since its peak in 1980. Numerous African Americans left during the first half of the 20th century in the Great Migration to escape the violence and oppression of Jim Crow; they moved to the North and West.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,017 people, 3,832 households, and 2,443 families residing in the parish.

Politics
With its majority-black population, Madison Parish in the 21st century has become a stronghold of support for the Democratic Party. Prior to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, when the state unconstitutionally prevented blacks from voting, the white Madison Parish voters in 1962 supported the Republican nominee Taylor W. O'Hearn for the US Senate; he lost to powerful Democratic incumbent Russell B. Long. O'Hearn polled 58.7 percent among whites in Madison Parish. He later was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives from Caddo Parish, also in the northern part of the state.

During the 1970s and 1980s, conservative white voters in Louisiana and other southern states began to shift to supporting Republican presidential candidates, creating a more competitive system than the Solid South. Since the civil rights era, most African Americans in the South have supported Democratic candidates, as the national party supported their drive to exercise constitutional rights as citizens, even though most Southern Democrats remained vehemently opposed to civil rights. In 1988, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts won in Madison Parish, with 2,416 votes (49.2 percent) compared to Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush, who finished in the presidential contest with 2,334 ballots (47.5 percent).

In 2008, the Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois received 3,100 votes (58.5 percent) in Madison Parish to 2,152 (40.6 percent) for the Republican U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona. In 2012, Madison Parish gave President Obama 3,154 votes (60.8 percent) to Mitt Romney's 2,000 ballots (38.6 percent), 152 fewer votes than McCain had received four years earlier.

Education
Public schools in Madison Parish are operated by the Madison Parish School Board.

Corrections
The private Lasalle Management firm operates the Madison Parish Correctional Center and Louisiana Correction Transitional Center for Women (CTCW), both located in Tallulah.

Notable people

 * Buddy Caldwell
 * Zelma Wyche

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

title: Madison Parish, Louisiana


text:
Livingston Parish, Louisiana

Livingston Parish (Paroisse Livingston, Parroquia de Livingston) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is the town of Livingston. Livingston Parish is one of the Florida Parishes, a region which, unlike the rest of the state, was part of the Spanish Empire rather than the French Empire.

The name Livingston is an eponym honoring Edward Livingston, an American jurist and statesman who assisted in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825.

Livingston Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. At the 2020 census, the population of the county was 142,282. Livingston Parish is part of Louisiana's 6th congressional district.

History
Livingston Parish was created by the state legislature in 1832 from part of St. Helena Parish. The historical parish seats were Van Buren (1832–1835), Springfield (1835–1872), Port Vincent (1872–1881), and Centerville (1881–1941). Livingston became the seat of government in 1941.

During the 2016 Louisiana floods, Livingston Parish was one of the hardest hit areas. An official estimated that 75 percent of the homes in the parish were a total loss.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 703 sqmi, of which 648 sqmi is land and 55 sqmi (7.8%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-12.svg|25px]] Interstate 12
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 16 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 16
 * [[Image:Louisiana 22 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 22
 * [[Image:Louisiana 40 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 40
 * [[Image:Louisiana 42 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 42
 * [[Image:Louisiana 43 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 43
 * [[Image:Louisiana 63 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 63
 * [[Image:Louisiana 444 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 444
 * [[Image:Louisiana 447 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 447

State park

 * Tickfaw State Park

Adjacent parishes

 * St. Helena Parish (north)
 * Tangipahoa Parish (east)
 * St. John the Baptist Parish (southeast)
 * Ascension Parish (southwest)
 * East Baton Rouge Parish (west)

Cities

 * Denham Springs
 * Walker

Towns

 * Livingston (parish seat)
 * Springfield
 * Albany

Villages

 * French Settlement
 * Killian
 * Port Vincent

Census-designated place

 * Watson

Unincorporated communities

 * Colyell
 * Corbin
 * Doyle
 * Frost
 * Georgeville
 * Head of Island
 * Holden
 * Maurepas
 * Magnolia
 * Satsuma
 * Whitehall

Historic Community

 * Van Buren

Demographics
At the 2000 United States census, there were 91,814 people, 32,630 households, and 25,549 families residing in the parish. The population density was 142 PD/sqmi. There were 36,212 housing units at an average density of 56 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the parish was 94.35% White, 4.22% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races; 1.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latin American of any race.

There were 32,630 households, out of which 41.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.10% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.70% were non-families. 18.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 8.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $38,887, and the median income for a family was $44,071. Males had a median income of $36,508 versus $22,325 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $16,282. As of August 2001, about 43,800 people were employed in the parish. The unemployment rate was 4.8%. About 9.10% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Hurricane Katrina had a dramatic effect on the population in Livingston Parish. Many displaced families of the affected parishes have moved into the area, and as a result the population of Livingston Parish has increased significantly. On June 6, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau published a report "Special Population Estimates for Impacted Counties in the Gulf Coast Area" which showed a population increase for Livingston Parish to 111,863 as of January 1, 2006.

The 2019 American Community Survey estimated 138,928 people and 48,410 households lived in the parish, up from 128,026 at the 2010 United States census. Its racial and ethnic makeup was 90.3% non-Hispanic white, 6.0% Black and African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian alone, 0.8% some other race, 1.8% two or more races, and 3.7% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. At the 2020 United States census, there were 142,282 people, 47,014 households, and 32,840 families residing in the parish.

Among the population in 2019, 74.1% were aged 18 and older, 6.6% aged 5 and under, and 12.9% aged 65 and older. The median age was 36.6, and 2.2% of the population were foreign born.

An estimated 10,280 businesses were established in the parish, and 1,105 were minority-owned firms. Of the population, 59.3% were employed in the parish and 81.8% owned housing units. The median house value was $167,100, and the median gross rent from 2015 to 2019 was $934. The median household income was $63,389 and 15.2% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line.

Livingston Parish, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, is dominated by the Southern Baptist Convention as its single largest religious group. Southern Baptists numbered 30,815 and the Catholic Church was the parish's second largest religious group with 14,007 followed by non-denominational Protestants with 11,230 members.

Economy
Livingston Parish is home of one of two installations for the gravitational wave observatory (LIGO) which is a facility dedicated to the detection of cosmic gravitational waves for scientific research. As of January 2015, Livingston Parish was Louisiana's fastest-growing parish.

Education
The Livingston Parish Public Schools operates all public schools in the parish. The parish in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College.

Law and government
Livingston Parish is a Council-President parish governed by a Home Rule Charter and enforced by a Parish Council and Parish President. The Parish President is the head of the executive branch of government, and the Parish Council comprises the legislative branch.

Livingston Parish is divided into nine council districts. The borders of each district are drawn to even out the population in each district.

At the end of 2014, the construction of a new Livingston Parish Courthouse was completed, with the ribbon-cutting scheduled for mid-February 2015. The new facility contains over 100,000 square feet of governmental office space; it replaces an antiquated complex dating back more than seventy years.

Together with the parishes of St. Helena and Tangipahoa, Livingston Parish forms Louisiana's 21st judicial district.

Politics
For much of its history, Livingston Parish voted Democratic, being characteristic of the "Solid South". It demonstrated Piney Woods voting behavior in 1928, where it was Herbert Hoover’s best parish in Louisiana, though he still lost it by about 3.5%. Like other parishes in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, Livingston remained loyal to Harry S. Truman in 1948 and to Adlai Stevenson II in 1956, when Louisiana's electoral votes went to Strom Thurmond and Dwight D. Eisenhower respectively. Barry Goldwater became the first Republican to win the parish in 1964. Dixiecrat George Wallace carried the parish in 1968, and Richard Nixon in 1972 made it Republican for the second time. It then returned to the Democrats, going to Jimmy Carter in both 1976 and 1980.

In recent years, Livingston Parish has been one of the most Republican parishes in Louisiana, and one of the most Republican county-equivalents in the nation. It has gone Republican in every presidential election since 1984. In the 2004 election, George W. Bush received 33,976 votes, or 77% of the parish's total, more than three times the 9,895 votes (22%) his opponent, John Kerry, received. The Republicans fared better still in the 2008 election, in which John McCain received 43,269 votes (85% of the total) to just 6,681 votes (13%) for Democrat Barack Obama. Livingston Parish has voted about 85% Republican in every election since then.

title: Livingston Parish, Louisiana


text:
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana

Lincoln Parish ( French:Paroisse de Lincoln) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,396. The parish was created on February 24, 1873, from parts of Bienville, Claiborne, Union, and Jackson parishes, and its boundaries have changed only once (in 1877). This makes Lincoln Parish one of the Reconstruction parishes.

The parish seat was Vienna from the parish's creation in 1873 until 1884, when a parish-wide vote moved it to the new railroad town of Ruston.

Lincoln Parish comprises the Ruston micropolitan statistical area.

History
Since the late 20th century, archeologists have dated eleven sites in northern Louisiana where thousands of years ago, indigenous cultures built complexes with multiple, monumental earthwork mounds during the Middle Archaic period, long before the development of sedentary, agricultural societies. At sites such as Watson Brake, Frenchman's Bend, and Caney, generations of hunter-gatherers worked for hundreds of years to build and add to mound complexes. Hedgepeth Site, located in Lincoln Parish, is dated about 5200–4500 BP (about 3300–2600 BCE), from the latter part of this period. Such finds are changing the understanding of early human cultures.

The parish was one of several new ones established by the state legislature during Reconstruction; in 1873 it was formed from land that had belonged to Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson and Union parishes to create one in which newly elected representatives might have more ties to the Republican Party. It was an attempt to break up the old order of political power, and to capitalize on the arrival of the railroad line. The parish is named for the late U.S. president Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln Parish is usually Republican in contested elections. In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won the parish with 10,739 votes (56.5 percent) to U.S. President Barack H. Obama, the Democrat who polled 7,956 ballots (41.9 percent).

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 472 sqmi, of which 472 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

 * I-20.svg Interstate 20
 * US 80.svg U.S. Highway 80
 * US 167.svg U.S. Highway 167
 * Louisiana 33 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 33

Adjacent parishes

 * Union Parish (north)
 * Ouachita Parish (east)
 * Jackson Parish (south)
 * Bienville Parish (southwest)
 * Claiborne Parish (northwest)

Cities

 * Grambling
 * Ruston (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

 * Dubach
 * Vienna

Villages

 * Choudrant
 * Downsville
 * Simsboro

Unincorporated communities

 * Corinth
 * Mount Zion
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Hico
 * Hilly
 * Unionville

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 48,396 people, 17,712 households, and 10,407 families residing in the parish.

Education
Lincoln Parish residents are zoned to Lincoln Parish School Board schools.

The parish is home to Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, and Grambling State University in Grambling.

Bethel Christian School is located in Ruston.

Ruston High School is located in Ruston.

Lincoln Preparatory School is located in Grambling.

Choudrant Elementary School and Choudrant High School are located in Choudrant.

Cedar Creek (K - 12) is located in Ruston

National Guard
527th Engineer Battalion (Triple Alpha) ("Anything, Anytime, Anywhere") is headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana, the parish seat. This battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard.

Attractions

 * Eddie G. Robinson Museum
 * Lincoln Parish Park
 * Louisiana Military Museum
 * Lincoln Parish Museum
 * Dixie Center for the Arts
 * North Central Louisiana Arts Council
 * Ruston Community Theatre
 * Celebrity Theatre (movie theater)
 * Annual Peach Festival held in Ruston
 * Annual Chicken Festival held in Dubach
 * Kingdom Collectives Film Festival held in Ruston

title: Lincoln Parish, Louisiana


text:
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana

Lafourche Parish (Paroisse de la Fourche) is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. Lafourche Parish was named after the Bayou Lafourche. City buildings have been featured in television and movies, such as in Fletch Lives, due to its architecture and rich history. At the 2020 census, its population was 97,557.

Long a center of sugar cane plantations and sugar production, in November 1887 the parish was the site of the Thibodaux Massacre. After state militia were used to suppress a massive Knights of Labor strike involving 10,000 workers in four parishes, many African Americans retreated to Thibodaux. Local paramilitary forces attacked the men and their families, killing an estimated 50 persons. Hundreds more were missing, wounded, and presumed dead in one of the deadliest incidents of labor suppression and racial terrorism.

Lafourche Parish is part of the Houma-Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. People of the state-recognized Native American Houma Tribe live in both Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.

History
South Louisiana became known as “Sugarland”, and Lafourche one of the sugar parishes, where sugar cane plantations were established before and after the Civil War. They required the labor of large numbers of enslaved African Americans. In the postbellum era, they constituted from 50 to 80 percent of the population in most of the sugar parishes.

Particularly after Reconstruction, whites in the parish used violence and intimidation against the large population of freedmen to suppress Republican voting and re-establish white supremacy, but were less successful than in North Louisiana until after disenfranchisement of blacks at the turn of the century. From 1877 through the early 20th century, there were 52 lynchings of African Americans in Lafourche Parish. Most of the deaths were due to white suppression of labor unrest in 1887; blacks were skilled sugar workers and had begun to organize for better wages and conditions. Some 10,000 workers had struck in Lafourche and three other parishes during the critical harvest period. At the request of the planters, the state sent in militia against the workers to break the strike.

In what was called the Thibodaux Massacre of November 22, 1887, local whites organized by leaders of the town killed up to 50 blacks who had taken refuge in the African-American quarters after a major Knights of Labor strike was called on sugar plantations. Hundreds more were wounded or missing, and presumed dead.

The total deaths in this parish due to this racial terrorism were the highest of any parish in the state and nearly twice as high as some others among the six parishes with the highest totals. In general, most of the lynching and racial terrorism took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon at 16:55 UTC as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Additional reports surveyed by ships in Port Fourchon reported wind gusts up to 194 knots. In Golden Meadow, LA, the National Weather Service recorded storm surge measurements of 10.1 ft. It was the strongest storm on record to make landfall in Lafourche Parish and at the time the 5th costliest hurricane in United States history.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1474 sqmi, of which 1068 sqmi is land and 406 sqmi (28%) is water. To the south of the parish is the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|25px]] Interstate 49 (future)
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 20 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 20
 * [[Image:Louisiana 24 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 24
 * [[Image:Louisiana 304 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 304
 * [[Image:Louisiana 308 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 308

Adjacent parishes

 * St. James Parish (north)
 * St. John the Baptist Parish (north)
 * St. Charles Parish (northeast)
 * Jefferson Parish (east)
 * Terrebonne Parish (west)
 * Assumption Parish (northwest)

National protected area

 * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Thibodaux)

City

 * Thibodaux (parish seat)

Towns

 * Golden Meadow
 * Lockport

Census-designated places

 * Bayou Blue
 * Bayou Country Club
 * Chackbay
 * Choctaw
 * Cut Off
 * Des Allemands
 * Galliano
 * Kraemer
 * Lafourche Crossing
 * Larose
 * Lockport Heights
 * Mathews
 * Port Fourchon
 * Raceland

Other areas

 * Gheens
 * Leeville

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 97,557 people, 36,759 households, and 25,224 families residing in the parish. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In 2000, there were 89,794 people living in the parish. The racial makeup of Lafourche was 82.85% White, 12.61% Black or African American, 2.30% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races; 1.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Among the population, 19.12% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 1.51% spoke Spanish.

Up from $34,910 in 2000, the median income of a household in the parish was $51,339 according to the 2019 American Community Survey. In 2000, males had a median income of $34,600 versus $19,484 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,809. About 13.20% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.90% of those under age 18 and 18.30% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The parish is zoned to Lafourche Parish Public Schools.

Residents of select portions of Lafourche Parish (particularly in parts of Grand Bois and Bourg) may attend schools in the Terrebonne Parish School District.

High schools

 * Central Lafourche in Mathews
 * South Lafourche in Galliano
 * Thibodaux High in Thibodaux
 * Edward Douglas White Catholic High School in Thibodaux

Colleges and universities

 * Nicholls State University in Thibodaux

The parish is in the service area of Fletcher Technical Community College. Additionally, a Delgado Community College document stated that Lafourche Parish was in the college's service area.

National Guard
D Company 2-156 Infantry Battalion of the 256TH Infantry Brigade Combat Team resides in Thibodaux, Louisiana

Notable people

 * Edward Douglass White, Associate Justice (1894-1910) and Chief Justice (1910-1921) of the United States Supreme Court
 * Jefferson J. DeBlanc (1921-2007), United States Marine Corps fighter pilot and flying ace; received the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II
 * Dick Guidry (1929-2014), member of Louisiana House of Representatives from 1950 to 1954 and 1964–76. Considered the youngest person ever elected to the Louisiana House.
 * Bobby Hebert, former NFL quarterback
 * Harvey Peltier, Jr.
 * Harvey Peltier, Sr.
 * Glen Pitre
 * Loulan Pitre, Jr.
 * Ed Orgeron, head football coach at LSU, Ole Miss, USC; NFL assistant coach

title: Lafourche Parish, Louisiana


text:
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Lafayette Parish (Paroisse de Lafayette) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat is the city of Lafayette. The parish was founded in 1823. Since 1996, the city and parish have operated as a consolidated government.

Etymology
The city and parish of Lafayette were named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who took part in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and financially aided it.

Geography
Lafayette Parish is a part of the region of Acadiana in southern Louisiana, along the Gulf Coast. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 269 sqmi, of which 269 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:I-49.svg|25px]] Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:Louisiana 89 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 89
 * [[Image:Louisiana 89-1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 89-1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 92 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 92
 * [[Image:Louisiana 92-1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 92-1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 93 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 93
 * [[Image:Louisiana 95 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 95
 * [[Image:Louisiana 96 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 96
 * [[Image:Louisiana 182 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 182
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3025 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3025
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3073 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3073
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3184 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3184

Adjacent parishes

 * St. Landry Parish (north)
 * St. Martin Parish (east)
 * Iberia Parish (southeast)
 * Vermilion Parish (south)
 * Acadia Parish (west)

National protected area

 * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Lafayette)

Cities

 * Broussard
 * Carencro
 * Lafayette (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Scott
 * Youngsville

Town

 * Duson

Census-designated places

 * Milton
 * Ossun

Unincorporated communities

 * Capitan
 * Elks
 * Gloria
 * Judice
 * Larabee
 * Long Bridge
 * Mouton
 * Pilette
 * Pont Des Mouton
 * Ridge
 * River Ranch
 * Sadou
 * Stekey
 * Vatican
 * Walroy

Demographics
According to the 2020 United States census, there were 241,753 people, 94,490 households, and 59,937 families residing in the parish. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 244,390 people living in the parish. The racial and ethnic makeup of Lafayette Parish was 65.7% non-Hispanic white, 25.9% Black and African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% Asian, 0.3% some other race, 1.5% two or more races, and 4.6% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 62.24% non-Hispanic white, 25.1% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.57% multiracial or some other race, and 6.61% Hispanic or Latino American of any race.

In 2019, the median age was 35.2 and 76.2% of the population were aged 18 and older; 12.7% of the population were aged 65 and older. Of its population, 4.2% were foreign born, with the majority coming from Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Among the population, 10.1% spoke another language other than English at home; Spanish was the second most-spoken language in 2019, and French was third.

There were 91,543 households at the 2019 census estimates, and 44.4% were married couples living together; 8.0% of households were cohabiting couples, 17.8% male households with no female present, 12.7% single-person households, and 29.7% female households with no female present. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.22. There was an employment rate of 62.5% and 28,206 businesses operating in the parish; 5,734 businesses were minority-owned and 2,774 were veteran-owned.

Out of the 102,491 housing units in 2019, the median gross rent was $874, and median housing value was $185,300. At the 2019 American Community Survey, the median household income was $56,999; males had a median income of $54,653 versus $38,378 for females. An estimated 17.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Education
Lafayette Parish School System operates public schools for the parish.

Lafayette Parish is home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana's second largest public university behind Louisiana State University. It is also home to the main campus of South Louisiana Community College (the parish is in the community college's service area), a Remington College in Lafayette, a Blue Cliff College in Lafayette, an Aveda Institute, and a Louisiana Technical College in Lafayette.

Politics
The parish voters often supported Democratic presidential candidates before the 1970s, but the majority of conservative whites has trended Republican since that time. Before 1965 and passage of the Voting Rights Act by the U.S Congress, most African Americans were disenfranchised, as they had been since 1898, when Louisiana passed a new constitution establishing barriers to voter registration and voting. They, along with poor white voters, were excluded from the political system. After regaining the power to register and vote, black voters tended to affiliate with and support national Democratic Party candidates.

The majority of the parish voted for the Republican presidential candidates from 1992 to 2020, and did so by generally increasing margins. The results in 2004 gave Republican George W. Bush 64% of the vote and 57,732 votes while Democrat John F. Kerry won 35% of the vote and 31,210 votes. In the 2008 election Lafayette Parish cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain. He won 65% of the vote and 62,055 votes. Democrat Barack Obama was strongly supported by African Americans and won 34% of the vote, some 32,145 votes.

Law enforcement
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO) is the sheriff's department in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The department, headed by Sheriff Mark T. Garber, consists of around 750 sworn and non-sworn employees. Although the LPSO's jurisdiction consists of the entire parish of Lafayette, in order to not duplicate services provided by local city police, the primary patrol area is the unincorporated areas of the parish. It also runs the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. The LPSO is CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) accredited and has taken part in Operation FALCON.

In 2003, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office joined with the University of Louisiana to create ALETA, the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy. This academy trains new LPSO deputies and UL Police officers, as well as recruits from several other police agencies in South Louisiana, to become P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officers. The program is an eleven-week course that provides physical training and conditioning along with classroom instruction.

Lafayette Parish is further served by the Lafayette Police Department, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department, and the Lafayette City Marshal.

National Guard
The HQ and other units of the 256th IBCT reside in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. This unit of over 3,500 Soldiers has deployed twice to Iraq, 2004-5 and 2010. This unit has also responded to disasters such as: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Isaac, and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill.

Notable people

 * Lauren Daigle, (born 1991), Grammy-nominated CCM singer
 * Jefferson Caffery, (1886-1974), U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France and Egypt
 * Benjamin Flanders, (1816-1896), politician, Alderman of New Orleans (1847-1852), founder of the Republican Party of Louisiana in 1864, appointed governor of Louisiana in 1867, retired in 1880s to his Ben Alva plantation here
 * Jerry Luke LeBlanc (born 1956), former state legislator and vice president of administration and finance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
 * Alexandre Mouton, (1804–1885), born in Attakapas, United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana.
 * Frank Schmitz, (1945-1966), four time NCAA champion gymnast and silver medal winner at the 1965 Trampoline World Championships.
 * Dustin Poirier, (born 1989), professional mixed martial artist. Ultimate Fighting Championship Lightweight competitor and former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion.

title: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana


text:
LaSalle Parish, Louisiana

LaSalle Parish (French: Paroisse de La Salle) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 14,791. The parish seat is Jena. The parish was created in 1910 from the western section of Catahoula Parish.

Name
The parish is named for René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

There is some confusion as to whether the parish is spelled "LaSalle" (no space) or "La Salle." An example of the latter view can be seen in the photo at right of the sign over the entrance to a "La Salle Parish Courthouse." A photo of this sign is also featured on the main webpage of the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court, but the parish is consistently spelled "LaSalle" (no space) in the website text. The prevailing spelling of the parish is "LaSalle" (no space), consistent with the U.S. Census since 2011, and as demonstrated for example by a Google Trends comparison of the phrase's different spellings.

History
The parish was established (as the Parish of LaSalle) on July 3, 1908.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 662 sqmi, of which 625 sqmi is land and 38 sqmi (5.7%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 84.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 84
 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:Louisiana 8 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 8
 * [[Image:Louisiana 28 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 28

Adjacent parishes

 * Caldwell Parish (north)
 * Catahoula Parish (east)
 * Avoyelles Parish (south)
 * Rapides Parish (southwest)
 * Grant Parish (west)
 * Winn Parish (northwest)

National protected area

 * Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,791 people, 4,814 households, and 3,643 families residing in the parish.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,282 people, 5,291 households, and 3,798 families residing in the parish. The population density was 23 /mi2. There were 6,273 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 86.13% White, 12.20% Black or African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,291 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% 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 3.03.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $28,189, and the median income for a family was $36,197. Males had a median income of $27,431 versus $19,697 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $14,033. About 14.90% of families and 18.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 18.90% of those age 65 or over.

National Guard
The 1087TH Transportation Company of the 165TH CSS (combat service support) Battalion of the 139TH RSG (regional support group) resides in Jena, Louisiana.

Towns

 * Jena
 * Olla
 * Tullos
 * Urania

Census-designated place

 * Good Pine
 * Midway

Other unincorporated communities

 * Standard
 * Summerville
 * Trout

Notable people

 * Thomas "Bud" Brady, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976 to 1988
 * Mike Francis, former Louisiana Republican state chairman
 * Henry E. Hardtner, lumberman known as "Louisiana's first conservationist", member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature, LaSalle Parish police juror, founder of Urania
 * Speedy O. Long, state senator, U.S. representative, district attorney
 * Jeffery Simmons, Football player for the Tennessee Titans

Politics
LaSalle Parish has been staunchly Republican since 1956, except in 1968 when it voted strongly for American Independent nominee George Wallace. Prior to that, it had been heavily Democratic, but no Democratic nominee since 1956 besides Jimmy Carter has passed forty percent of the parish’s vote, with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden not even reaching double digits.

title: LaSalle Parish, Louisiana


text:
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

Jefferson Davis Parish (Paroisse de Jefferson Davis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,250. The parish seat is Jennings. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern Louisiana and forms a part of the Acadiana region.

History
Jefferson Davis Parish was one of the last parishes to be organized in the state of Louisiana. It was originally a part of Imperial Calcasieu Parish, which contributed to five other parishes as the population increased in the area. The bill creating Jefferson Davis Parish was passed by the state legislature in 1912 but did not take effect until 1913. Jefferson Davis Parish is part of the large, 22-county Acadiana region of Louisiana, which is influenced by a large Francophone population. It was named after Jefferson Davis, a prominent planter and the President of the Confederate States of America.

The first oil in Louisiana was drilled in 1901 in Evangeline, Acadia Parish, by W. Scott Heywood, who in 1932 was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. The oil field was known as the Jennings Oil Field because Jennings was the nearest railroad stop to the oil field.

The parish was affected by Hurricane Rita in 2005, causing flooding and wind damage.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 660 sqmi, of which 651 sqmi is land and 7.2 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

Jefferson Davis Parish comprises five incorporated towns including Elton, Fenton, Jennings, Lake Arthur, and Welsh. There are also many unincorporated areas that add to the interest and economic structure of the parish including Barnsdall, Buller, China, Coverdale, Edna, Fontenot, Foreman's Hall, Hathaway, Illinois Plant, Lacassine, Lauderdale, Panchoville, Pine Island, Raymond, Roanoke, Silverwood, Thornwell, Topsy, Verret, and Woodlawn. Interstate 10 runs east and west through the center of the parish, providing access to local markets. Additionally, the Union Pacific Railroad is centrally located within the parish and the Mermentau River, which connects to the Intracoastal Waterway and has a channel depth of nine feet, provides access to the Port of Mermentau. The Jennings Airport, with a runway length of 5000 ft, is capable of landing a small jet and is located next to Interstate 10. Jefferson Davis Parish also attracts sportsmen to the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge.

Adjacent parishes

 * Allen Parish (north)
 * Evangeline Parish (northeast)
 * Acadia Parish (east)
 * Vermilion Parish (southeast)
 * Cameron Parish (south)
 * Calcasieu Parish (west)
 * Beauregard Parish (northwest)

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 14 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 14
 * [[Image:Louisiana 26 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 26
 * [[Image:Louisiana 97 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 97
 * [[Image:Louisiana 99 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 99
 * [[Image:Louisiana 101 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 101
 * [[Image:Louisiana 102 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 102
 * [[Image:Louisiana 380 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 380
 * [[Image:Louisiana 382 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 382
 * [[Image:Louisiana 395 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 395
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1130 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1130
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3055 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3055

Airports

 * Jennings, (3R7)
 * Welsh

City

 * Jennings (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

 * Elton
 * Lake Arthur
 * Welsh

Village

 * Fenton

Census-designated places

 * Hathaway
 * Lacassine
 * Roanoke

Unincorporated communities

 * Barnsdall
 * Buller
 * China
 * Edna
 * Fontenot
 * Foreman's Hall
 * Gravel Point
 * Lauderdale
 * Niblett
 * Panchoville
 * Pine Island
 * Raymond
 * Silverwood
 * Thornwell
 * Topsy
 * Verrett
 * Woodlawn

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,250 people, 11,726 households, and 8,149 families residing in the parish.

Education
Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates the schools in the parish.
 * Elton Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Elton)
 * Elton High School (Grades 6–12) (Elton)
 * Fenton Elementary School (Grades PK-8) (Fenton)
 * Hathaway High School (Grades K-12) (Jennings)
 * Jennings Elementary School (Grades 3–6) (Jennings)
 * Jennings High School (Grades 7–12) (Jennings)
 * Lacassine High School (Grades K-12) (Lacassine)
 * Lake Arthur Elementary School (Grades PK-6) (Lake Arthur)
 * Lake Arthur High School (Grades 7–12) (Lake Arthur)
 * James Ward Elementary School (Grades PK-2) (Jennings)
 * Welsh Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Welsh)
 * Welsh High School (Grades 8–12) (Welsh)
 * Welsh-Roanoke Jr. High School (Grades 6–8) (Roanoke)

Jeff Davis Parish is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette which has one school in the parish:
 * Our Lady Immaculate (Grades PK-8) (Jennings)

Jeff Davis Parish is served by one institution of higher education:
 * It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College. The Morgan Smith campus is located in Jennings.

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

Notable people

 * A.C. Clemons (1921-1992), former Louisiana state senator from 1960 to 1972
 * Al Woods (born 1987), current American football player for the New York Jets of the NFL
 * Thomas A. "Tom" Greene (born 1948), former Louisiana state senator from 1992 to 2000
 * Travis Etienne (born 1999), current American football player for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL
 * Cleve Francis (born 1945), country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist
 * Monte Ledbetter (1943-2020), former American football player in the NFL
 * Eugene John Hebert (1923-1990), priest and Jesuit missionary who famously disappeared in Sri Lanka in 1990 during the Sri Lankan civil war
 * Canray Fontenot (1922-1995), American Creole musician
 * Lance Guidry (born 1971), American football coach, defensive coordinator at the University of Miami
 * Charles Mann (born 1944), singer and swamp pop performer and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
 * Jack Doland (1928-1991), former Louisiana state senator and head football coach, athletic director, and president of McNeese State University
 * Chancy Croft (born 1937), former Democratic politician from Alaska
 * Avalon Daggett (1907-2002), filmmaker and philanthropist
 * June James (1962-1990), former American football player in the NFL and CFL
 * Pat Rapp (born 1967), former professional baseball player
 * Guy Sockrider (1921-2011), former Louisiana state senator
 * Donald Ellsworth Walter (born 1936), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
 * Phillip Walker (1937-2010), musician
 * Troy Romero, current Louisiana State Representative from the 37th district

Politics
For most of the 20th Century, Jeff Davis was a Democratic-leaning parish, voting Republican only in landslide elections such as 1972 and 1984. However, like other Acadian parishes with large Cajun populations, Jeff Davis turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.

title: Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana


text:
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

Jefferson Parish is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its largest incorporated city is Kenner. Jefferson Parish is included in the Greater New Orleans area.

1825 to 1940
Jefferson Parish was named in honor of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson of Virginia when the parish was established by the Louisiana Legislature on February 11, 1825, a year before Jefferson died. A bronze statue of Jefferson stands at the entrance of the General Government Complex on Derbigny Street in Gretna. The parish seat was in the city of Lafayette, until that area was annexed by New Orleans in 1852. In that year the parish government moved to Carrollton, where it remained for twenty-two years.

Originally, this parish was larger than it is today, running from Felicity Street in New Orleans to the St. Charles Parish line. However, as New Orleans grew, it absorbed the cities of Lafayette, Jefferson City, Carrollton, and several unincorporated areas (faubourgs). These became part of Orleans Parish. The present borders between Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish were set in 1874. The Jefferson Parish seat was moved to Gretna at the same time. (The historic city of Lafayette in Jefferson Parish, as it was recorded in U.S. census records until 1870, should not be confused with Lafayette, Louisiana, in Lafayette Parish.)

1940 to 2000
From the 1940s to the 1970s, Jefferson's population swelled with an influx of middle-class white families from Orleans Parish. The parish's population doubled in size from 1940 to 1950 and again from 1950 to 1960 as the parents behind the post–World War II baby boom, profiting from rising living standards and dissatisfied with their old neighborhoods, chose relocation to new neighborhoods of detached single-family housing. By the 1960s, rising racial tensions in New Orleans complicated the impetus behind the migration, as many new arrivals sought not only more living space but also residence in a political jurisdiction independent from New Orleans proper.

The earliest postwar subdivisions were developed on the Eastbank of Jefferson Parish ("East Jefferson") along the pre-existing Jefferson Highway and Airline Highway routes, often relatively far-removed from the New Orleans city line, as land prices were lower further away from New Orleans and land assembly was easier. The completion of Veterans Highway in the late 1950s, following a route parallel to Airline but further north, stimulated more development. The arrival of I-10 in the early 1960s resulted in the demolition of some homes in the Old Metairie neighborhood, where development began in the 1920s, but resulted in even easier access to suburban East Jefferson.

In the portion of Jefferson Parish on the Westbank of the Mississippi River ("West Jefferson"), large-scale suburban development commenced with the completion, in 1958, of the Greater New Orleans Bridge crossing the Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans. Terrytown, within the city limits of Gretna, was the first large subdivision to be developed. Subsequent development has been extensive, taking place within Harvey, Marrero, Westwego and Avondale.

Similar to the development trajectory observed by other U.S. suburban areas, Jefferson began to enjoy a significant employment base by the 1970s and 1980s, shedding its earlier role as a simple bedroom community. In East Jefferson, the Causeway Boulevard corridor grew into a commercial office node, while the Elmwood neighborhood developed as a center for light manufacturing and distribution. By the mid-1990s, Jefferson Parish was exhibiting some of the symptoms presented by inner-ring suburbs throughout the United States. Median household income growth slowed, even trailing income growth rates in New Orleans proper, such that the inner city began to narrow the gap in median household income, a gap at its widest at the time of the 1980 census. St. Tammany Parish and, to a lesser extent, St. Charles Parish began to attract migrants from New Orleans, and increasingly even from Jefferson Parish itself. These trends were catalyzed by Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed much of New Orleans' low-income housing and propelled further numbers of lower-income individuals into Jefferson Parish.

Despite these challenges, Jefferson Parish still contains the largest number of middle class residents in metropolitan New Orleans and acts as the retail hub for the entire metro area.

Hurricane Katrina (2005)
Even though Jefferson Parish was affected by Hurricane Katrina, it has rebounded more quickly than Orleans Parish, since the devastation was not as severe. The parish has a current population of 432,000, which is 15,000 fewer people than was recorded by the 2000 U.S. census. New Orleans' Katrina-provoked population loss has resulted in Jefferson Parish becoming the second most populous parish behind East Baton Rouge Parish, center of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. With the landfall of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, Jefferson Parish took a hard hit. On the East Bank, widespread flooding occurred, especially in the eastern part of the parish, as well as much wind damage. Schools also were reported to have been severely damaged. On the West Bank, there was little to no flooding, though there was still much wind damage. As a result, the Jefferson Parish Council temporarily moved the parish government to Baton Rouge. Evacuees of Jefferson Parish were told that they could expect to be able to go back to their homes starting Monday, September 5, 2005, between the hours of 6 a.m. CDT and 6 p.m. CDT, but would have to return to their places of evacuation because life in the area was not sustainable. There were no open grocery stores or gas stations, and almost the entire parish had no electric, water, or sewerage services. Moreover, evacuations out of New Orleans were continuing to be staged from the heart of Metairie at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Causeway Boulevard, and traffic throughout the area was primarily restricted to emergency and utility vehicles.

On September 4, Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard broke down on Meet the Press

RUSSERT: You just heard the director of Homeland Security's explanation of what has happened this last week. What is your reaction?

BROUSSARD: We have been abandoned by our own country. Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of the worst storms ever to hit an American coast. But the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will go down as one of the worst abandonments of Americans on American soil ever in U.S. history. … Whoever is at the top of this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chainsawed off and we've got to start with some new leadership. It's not just Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans here. Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now....

Three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn't need them. This was a week ago. FEMA, we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. When we got there with our trucks, FEMA says don't give you the fuel. Yesterday — yesterday — FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards and said no one is getting near these lines…

I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, Emergency Management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" and he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you." Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody's coming to get us. Nobody's coming to get us… By the following weekend, the local electrical utility, Entergy, had restored power to large swaths of Jefferson Parish, and the parish public works department had restored water and sewer service to most of the areas with power. East Jefferson General Hospital never ceased operation, even through the storm. Nevertheless, Broussard continued to discourage residents from returning until all major streets were clear of downed trees, powerlines and major debris. The parish's initial focus was on helping businesses through the "Jumpstart Jefferson" program that allowed business operators into the parish before residents. Nevertheless, some independent-minded residents began moving back into the parish even before Broussard issued a formal "all-clear", and some gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and a Home Depot were in operation during this time.

Broussard's report of the events he discussed on Meet the Press have subsequently proven to be inaccurate. The son of the drowned woman was later identified as Thomas Rodrigue, who replied, "No, no, that's not true," when told of Broussard's account. An MSNBC interview with the man revealed that Rodrigue tried to contact his mother at the St. Rita nursing home on the days before the storm – Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28, not Monday through Friday as Broussard had claimed—to encourage the home to evacuate. They did not, resulting in the deaths by drowning of more than 30 other residents.

Crucially, Jefferson's levees and floodwalls did not fail in the wake of Katrina, enabling floodwaters to be rapidly pumped out. As of October 2006, Jefferson Parish had, in effect, completely rebounded from Hurricane Katrina, while far more damaged Orleans Parish continued recovering at a slower rate. Estimates of Jefferson Parish's population ranged from 420,000 to 440,000, and this figure was expected to continue to rise as evacuated residents from Orleans Parish returned to metropolitan New Orleans.

Katrina-related flooding
Flooding on the east bank has been frequently attributed to the decision by parish leadership to deactivate the stormwater pumping systems and evacuate the operators during the storm. Katrina's substantial storm surge may have swamped even operating pumping stations but Broussard's activation of the parish's "Doomsday Plan" is the most frequently cited reason for the flooding in all areas of the east bank except Old Metairie and parts of Harahan. Pump operators were evacuated to areas outside the parish that were themselves severely affected by the storm and pump station personnel were consequently unable to immediately return to restart the pumps. They did not arrive until the morning of August 31. Water resulting from the backflow through the non-operating pumping stations, as well as storm-related rainwater, remained on the streets and in the homes of residents of Metairie and Kenner for a day and a half. Many homes which were not severely damaged by storm winds took heavy flood damage, especially along both sides of the West Esplanade canal, from the 17th Street Canal to Kenner. The parish has subsequently announced that it will change the way it evacuates critical personnel during an emergency, both through the construction of "safe-houses" and use of existing facilities on the west bank of Jefferson Parish. The original "safe-house" project was severely modified due to rising costs and was further delayed due to a conflict of interest revealed by the original contractors. There are also plans to add manual closures on the pumping stations due to the failure of the compressed air systems during Katrina's storm surge.

Much additional consideration has been given to the different problem of the flooding in Old Metairie that resulted from Jefferson Parish's reliance on the failed Orleans Parish drainage system at the 17th Street Canal and its Pumping Station No. 6. Flooding in this area south of Metairie Road between the Orleans Parish line and Causeway Boulevard was catastrophic and deep water destroyed much of the most expensive real estate in the parish. A temporary plan was devised to pool water at the Pontiff Playground and south of Airline Drive and to divert some into other Jefferson Parish drainage canals. A longer-term project to divert water from this vulnerable area into the Mississippi River has also been suggested, although its expense appears to be prohibitive. Jefferson Parish officials have also struggled to maximize the parish's ability to utilize the significantly reduced pumping capacity of the 17th Street Canal if the threat of storm surge again requires the Corps of Engineers to close the mouth of the canal.

Gretna controversy
The city of Gretna, Louisiana, the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, made news after its police force participated, along with Crescent City Connection Police and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies, in a road block on the Crescent City Connection Bridge in the days following Hurricane Katrina. The purpose was to stop evacuees from crossing over into the evacuated communities on the Westbank of the Mississippi River. Gretna Police had charge of Westbank-bound lanes, while Jefferson Parish deputies controlled the east bank-bound lanes and the bridge police closed the transit lanes.

Initially, as many as 6,000 evacuees were permitted to cross and were shuttled out of the area on buses; however, that operation was eventually discontinued as available fuel supplies were exhausted. Without transportation or sufficient supplies of food or water, west bank law enforcement personnel determined that they were unable to further assist the evacuees. It was also believed at that time that federal relief efforts and supplies were soon to be concentrated in the downtown area of New Orleans. The decision to stop further evacuees from crossing the river was then made after Oakwood Center mall was looted and burned by evacuees from the east bank of New Orleans. A unified local police decision was made to lock down all areas. Due to the lack of effective communications during the crisis, some New Orleans police officers independently continued to direct evacuees to buses across the bridge that were no longer operational. The inevitable confrontation occurred on the section of the bridge controlled by the Gretna police, and warning shots were fired over the heads of desperate evacuees who had been misdirected onto the bridge.

Post–Katrina
A business report released in April 2007 found Jefferson Parish led the nation in job growth, for the quarter ending September 30, 2006, as rebuilding continued after Hurricane Katrina. Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard believed that Jefferson Parish would reach pre-Katrina numbers or even exceed those numbers, as residents who were still evacuated from New Orleans returned to Jefferson Parish to be closer to New Orleans as they await federal recovery money to repair their homes.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 665 sqmi, of which 296 sqmi is land and 370 sqmi (56%) is water.

Lake Pontchartrain is situated in the northern part of Jefferson Parish with the parish line several miles north of the southern shore, with St. Tammany Parish at its northern shore. The Mississippi River is located around the midpoint of Jefferson Parish flowing generally in a north-west to south-east direction.

Surrounding parishes include St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana at the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, St. Charles Parish upriver to the west, Orleans Parish downriver to the east, and Plaquemines Parish downriver to the south-east. The majority of the southern half of Jefferson Parish is uninhabited marshland with one of the exceptions being the town of Grand Isle; the only roads connecting Grand Isle to the rest of Jefferson Parish run through Lafourche Parish and St. Charles Parish.

National protected area

 * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Marrero)

State parks

 * Bayou Segnette State Park
 * Grand Isle State Park

Adjacent parishes

 * Orleans Parish (east)
 * St. Bernard Parish (east)
 * Plaquemines Parish (east)
 * Lafourche Parish (west)
 * St. Charles Parish (west)
 * St. Tammany Parish (north)

Cities

 * Gretna (parish seat)
 * Harahan
 * Kenner (largest municipality)
 * Westwego

Towns

 * Grand Isle
 * Jean Lafitte

Census-designated places

 * Avondale
 * Barataria
 * Bridge City
 * Elmwood
 * Estelle
 * Harvey
 * Jefferson
 * Lafitte
 * Marrero
 * Metairie
 * River Ridge
 * Terrytown
 * Timberlane
 * Waggaman
 * Woodmere

Unincorporated communities

 * Crown Point

Ghost town

 * Cheniere Caminada

Demographics

In 1830, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a population of 6,846; since the 2020 U.S. census, its population has grown to 440,781 people, 171,991 households, and 108,177 families residing in the parish. In 2010, the population density was 1,410 PD/sqmi and there were 187,907 housing units at an average density of 613 /sqmi.

In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was an estimated 52.6% non-Hispanic white, 26.4% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.2% Asian, <0.0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, 1.7% two or more races, and 14.5% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. At the 2020 U.S. census, the racial and ethnic makeup was a tabulated 47.28% non-Hispanic white, 26.29% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.74% multiracial, and 17.94% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, representing a nationwide demographic shift of diversification from the predominant non-Hispanic white population.

Between the 2000 U.S. census and the 2010 U.S. census, the overall population of Jefferson Parish decreased while its population of Hispanic and Latino Americans increased. One theory is this was due to Hispanic and Latino Americans arriving after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to assist the already existing Hispanic and Latin community in Jefferson Parish. As of 2011, more than 15% of the parish population was Hispanic.

At the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 169,452 households and 188,511 housing units with an owner-occupied rate of 61.2%. The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $188,200 and median gross rent for the parish was $972. The median household income for Jefferson Parish was $54,032 and males had a median annual income of $48,933 versus $38,442 for females. Jefferson's overall poverty rate was 15.5%, and 25.3% of children under age 18 lived at or below the poverty line.

Among the religious community in Jefferson Parish, most have identified as Christian. The predominant religious institution of Christendom in the parish is the Catholic Church, primarily served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. There is also a prominent Baptist population identifying with the Southern Baptist Convention. In Gretna, there were at least two Assemblies of God USA congregations reflecting the area's Pentecostal population as of 2022. Of note among Baptists and Pentecostals, there have also been several historically Black or African American Baptist and Pentecostal churches in the parish.

Economy
The economy of Jefferson Parish has often been tied to that of New Orleans, being a part of its metropolitan area.

According to the parish's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the parish were:

Other notable employers in the parish have been Friedrich Custom Manufacturing, a leading maker of police barricades, including the ones used by the New York City Police Department; and Starr Textiles, which relocated to the parish from New Orleans.

Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the parish has been laboring on a plan for redeveloping and diversifying its economy to attract more businesses. A five-year economic development plan was issued by the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission.

Education
The parish's public schools are operated by Jefferson Parish Public Schools. The Jefferson Parish Library operates the public libraries.

Historically a significant number of the parish's students were in private schools, and as of 2015 Catholic schools (of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans) had the majority of private school students. In 2000 the parish was the American county equivalent with the second highest per capita enrollment in private school. As of October 1, 2014 there were fewer than 18,000 students in Jefferson Parish, or over 25% of the children of the ages for K-12 education, who attended private schools approved by the State of Louisiana. There were also 1,246 children in the parish who were homeschooling or who were in private schools not approved by the state.

From 2013–2014 to 2014–2015 the percentage of students in the parish's private schools declined by 4%; the Catholic schools specifically had the same percentage of enrollment decline. The non-Catholic private schools together had a 3% decline. Jessica Williams of The Times Picayune stated that the establishment of charter schools and improved options in Jefferson Parish district schools, along with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2008 recession, caused decreases in private school enrollment.

Government and infrastructure
Cynthia Lee-Sheng, daughter of former Sheriff Harry Lee is the current President of Jefferson Parish, elected in 2019.

The Bridge City Center for Youth, a juvenile correctional facility for boys operated by the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice, is in Bridge City, an unincorporated area in the parish.

Politics
Jefferson Parish was one of the first areas of Louisiana to turn Republican. It has not voted for a Democrat for president since John F. Kennedy in 1960. In the 2008 Presidential election, Jefferson Parish cast a majority of votes for Republican John McCain, who won 63% of the vote and 113,191 votes. Democrat Barack Obama won 36% of the votes and 65,096 votes. Although John McCain easily won Jefferson Parish, in the U.S Senate race that same year between Democrat Mary Landrieu and Republican John Neely Kennedy, Landrieu won Jefferson Parish. She won 52% of the vote and 91,966 votes. John Kennedy won 46% of the vote and 79,965 votes. Other candidates won 2% of the vote. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won 62% of the vote and 117,882 votes. Democrat John F. Kerry won 38% of the votes and 72,136 votes.

Since 2008, in contrast to much of the rest of Louisiana shifting somewhat towards the Republicans, Jefferson Parish appears to be trending slightly Democratic at the presidential level. In 2012, Mitt Romney won it with only 58.2% of the vote, and in 2016, despite still losing the parish to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton became the second Democrat since her husband in 1996, and only the third since Jimmy Carter in 1976, to crack 40% of the vote there. In 2020, Joe Biden cut the Republican margin to just 11 points, the lowest Republican margin since it voted for Bob Dole by just 6.7 points in 1996.

Roads
Jefferson Parish is served by one interstate highway and multiple U.S. and state highways.

East Bank

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10 – connects the East Bank to St. Charles Parish upriver and New Orleans downriver.
 * [[Image:US 61.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 61 – connects the East Bank to St. Charles Parish upriver and New Orleans downriver.
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90 – connects the East Bank to the West Bank on the south (via the Huey P. Long Bridge) and to New Orleans downriver (via Jefferson Highway).
 * Lake Pontchartrain Causeway – connects the East Bank to St. Tammany Parish on the north via Causeway Boulevard across Lake Pontchartrain.

West Bank
U.S. Highway 90 Business – connects the West Bank to New Orleans on the east and intersecting U.S. Highway 90 to the west.
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90 – connects the West Bank to the East Bank on the north (via the Huey P. Long Bridge) and to St. Charles Parish upriver.
 * [[Image:Business plate.svg|20px]]
 * Planned future route of [[Image:I-49.svg|25px]] Interstate 49.
 * [[Image:Louisiana 18 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 18 – connects the West Bank to St. Charles Parish.
 * [[Image:Louisiana 23 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 23 – connects the West Bank to Plaquemines Parish.
 * [[Image:Louisiana 45 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 45 – connects the West Bank with the towns in the southern portion of Jefferson Parish (Jean Lafitte, Lafitte and Barataria).

Grand Isle

 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1 – connects Grand Isle to Lafourche Parish

Public Transportation
Jefferson Parish Transit (formerly known as JeT) serves the parish with 11 bus routes, an on-demand zone, and paratransit services. It also operates a special "Hurricane Evacuation System" when the parish is under evacuation orders due to an impending severe hurricane.

Notable people

 * John Alario, Republican state senator from Jefferson Parish and Senate President since 2012; former Democratic Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives (1984–1988, 1992–1996)
 * Sherman A. Bernard (1925–2012), Louisiana insurance commissioner from 1972 to 1988
 * Jay Chevalier, singer and politician
 * Robert Billiot, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Jefferson Parish since 2008; former educator from Westwego, succeeded John Alario in the House
 * Tom Capella, Republican assessor of Jefferson Parish; former state representative and former Jefferson Parish Council member
 * Patrick Connick, Republican state representative from Jefferson Parish
 * Charles Cusimano, former state representative and judge from Jefferson Parish
 * Ellen DeGeneres, American stand-up comedian, television host and actress born at Ochsner Hospital in Jefferson Parish in 1958
 * Jim Donelon, Louisiana insurance commissioner; former state representative
 * Eddie Doucet, state representative for District 78 in Jefferson Parish from 1972 to 1988
 * David Duke, Klansman and former state representative for District 81 in Jefferson Parish
 * Robert T. Garrity, Jr., former state representative for District 78 in Jefferson Parish
 * Randal Gaines, African-American member of the Louisiana House for St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes; former resident of Kenner
 * James Garvey, Jr., Republican member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for District 1, which includes Jefferson Parish
 * Kernan "Skip" Hand, former state representative and former Jefferson Parish district court judge
 * Jennifer Sneed Heebe, former state representative and former member of the Jefferson Parish Council; resident of New Orleans since 2008
 * Girod Jackson, III, Democratic former state representative for District 87 in Jefferson Parish
 * Salman "Sal" Khan, founder of Khan Academy
 * Hank Lauricella (1930–2014), college football All-American for the Tennessee Volunteers; state representative and state senator
 * Harry Lee (1932–2007), iconic longtime sheriff of Jefferson Parish from 1980 to 2007
 * Tony Ligi, Republican former state representative for District 79 in Jefferson Parish; director of the Jefferson Business Council
 * Danny Martiny, state senator from Jefferson Parish
 * Elwyn Nicholson, state senator from Jefferson Parish from 1972 to 1988
 * Newell Normand, Jefferson Parish sheriff from Harry Lee's death in 2007 to 2017
 * Mel Ott, member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, born in Gretna, 1909.
 * Julie Quinn, Republican former state senator from Jefferson
 * Steven Seagal, Reserve Deputy Chief of Jefferson Parish
 * Julie Stokes, Republican former state representative from District 79
 * James St. Raymond, Republican former state representative for District 89 in Orleans Parish; businessman, former resident of Jefferson Parish
 * Ricky Templet, Republican former state representative from Jefferson Parish; Gretna city council member
 * Steve Theriot, former state representative and former state legislative auditor; accountant and lobbyist
 * David C. Treen (1928–2009), former Congressman (1973–1980) and governor (1980–1984); later relocated to St. Tammany Parish
 * John S. Treen (1926-2020), politician
 * Chris Ullo, member of both houses of the state legislature (1972–2008)
 * Roger F. Villere, Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party
 * Ebony Woodruff, state representative for District 87 in Jefferson Parish since 2013
 * Amy Coney Barrett, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 2020

title: Jefferson Parish, Louisiana


text:
Jackson Parish, Louisiana

Jackson Parish (French: Paroisse de Jackson) is a parish in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,031. The parish seat is Jonesboro. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In the twentieth century, this part of the state had several small industrial mill towns, such as Jonesboro.

East of Jonesboro is the Jimmie Davis State Park, which includes Caney Lake Reservoir.

History
Jackson Parish was founded in 1845 after Indian Removal and named for President Andrew Jackson.

Civil War
During the American Civil War Confederate General Richard Taylor sent five companies into Jackson and Winn parishes to arrest conscripts who failed to report for duty, and to halt jayhawker groups in the area.

20th century to present
Jonesboro became an industrial mill town in the 20th century, producing lumber and turpentine products from the pine forests. Industrialization stimulated its growth. By the 1950s and 1960s, numerous African Americans had become industrial workers. Many were veterans of World War II and the Korean War, and they began to press to gain civil rights in the segregated state and region. Ku Klux Klan chapters were active here, and they intimidated and attacked civil rights activists.

In November 1964 Rev. Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, ordained that year as a minister of the Church of God in Christ, and Earnest "Chilly Willy" Thomas founded the Deacons for Defense and Justice, an organized African-American, armed self-defense group to protect activists and their families.

In February 1965, these two men and other CORE workers traveled 300 miles to Bogalusa, Louisiana, another small mill town, where they founded another chapter of the Deacons. They advised local activists on strategies of self-defense. They helped found chapters of the Deacons in other cities of Louisiana, as well as in Mississippi and Alabama in these years.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 580 sqmi, of which 569 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.9%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:Louisiana 4 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 4
 * [[Image:Louisiana 34 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 34

Adjacent parishes

 * Lincoln Parish (north)
 * Ouachita Parish (northeast)
 * Caldwell Parish (southeast)
 * Winn Parish (south)
 * Bienville Parish (west)

Towns

 * Chatham
 * Eros
 * Jonesboro (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

 * East Hodge
 * Hodge
 * North Hodge
 * Quitman

Unincorporated communities

 * Ansley
 * Antioch
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Walker
 * Weston

Demographics
According to the 2020 United States census, there were 15,031 people, 5,971 households, and 4,015 families residing in the parish. At the census of 2000, there were 15,397 people, 6,086 households, and 4,302 families residing in the parish. The population density was 27 /mi2. There were 7,338 housing units at an average density of 13 /mi2.

Among the population in 2000, 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.

In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 71.01% White, 27.87% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By 2020, its racial makeup was 65.84% non-Hispanic white, 26.25% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.57% two or more races, and 3.11% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Among the 2000 population, the median income for a household in the parish was $28,352, and the median income for a family was $36,317. Males had a median income of $31,977 versus $19,992 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,354. About 16.00% of families and 19.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over. In 2020, the median household income increased to $41,298 with home-owners paying $434 a month for monthly-housing costs.

Politics
Jackson Parish was historically part of the Solid South, as Louisiana had disenfranchised most blacks in the state at the turn of the century, as had other southern states. This made the Republican Party non-competitive in the state and region, and excluded blacks from politics into the 1960s. The conservative whites consistently voted for Democratic candidates in the one-party region. Governor Al Smith of New York received 100 percent of the vote in 1928 (from white voters) in his losing race against Herbert C. Hoover.

In the 1960s, the majority of conservative white voters began to shift their support to Republican presidential candidates, and then to those at the state level. In 1960, Richard M. Nixon led parishwide with 43.9 percent against both John F. Kennedy and a rival slate of unpledged segregationist electors. These included future Governor David C. Treen and Leander Perez of Plaquemines Parish. In that election, blacks were still disenfranchised.

Jackson Parish has served as a reliable bellwether for the state of Louisiana, having voted for the statewide presidential winner in 15 straight elections since 1964. Since the late 20th century, Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush each carried the parish twice. In 1992, Clinton polled 3,370 votes (44.5 percent) to Republican George Herbert Walker Bush's 3,072 (40.6 percent). Another 882 ballots (11.7 percent) were held by Ross Perot of Texas, who ran as an Independent and thereafter founded his Reform Party.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Republican U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona outpolled Barack H. Obama of Illinois by 30 percentage points. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney carried Jackson Parish. with 5,132 votes (68.2 percent) to President Obama's 2,305 ballots (30.6 percent), a margin of nearly 38 percentage points.

Education
Public schools in Jackson Parish are operated by the elected Jackson Parish School Board.

National Guard
A Company 199TH FSB (Forward Support Battalion) of the 256TH IBCT resides in Jonesboro, Louisiana. This unit has deployed twice to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010. Also deployed in 1990 for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Notable people

 * Rodney Alexander, Republican U.S. representative
 * Marvin T. Culpepper, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Jackson Parish from 1964 to 1968
 * Jimmie Davis, Democratic former governor and singer by profession, born in Jackson Parish in 1899.

title: Jackson Parish, Louisiana


text:
Iberville Parish, Louisiana

Iberville Parish (Paroisse d'Iberville) is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana, formed in 1807. The parish seat is Plaquemine. The population was 30,241 at the 2020 census.

History
The parish is named for Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, who founded the French colony of Louisiana.

A few archeological efforts have been made in the Parish, mainly to excavate the Native American burial mounds that have been identified there. The first expedition, led by Clarence B. Moore, was an attempt at collecting data from a couple of the sites, and it set the groundwork for later projects. Moore was mainly interested in the skeletal remains of the previous inhabitants, rather than excavating for archeological items. Archeologists are especially interested in these sites because of their uniformity and size. Some of the mounds are seven hundred feet long, a hundred feet wide and six feet tall. Most of them contain human remains.

There were at least 2 wooden forts in the area by 1779, also represent St. Gabriel Parish.

Iberville Parish is represented in the Louisiana State Senate by a Republican, attorney Rick Ward III, a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, who has served in the Senate since 2012. The parish is currently represented in the state House by Democrat Major Thibaut of Oscar in Pointe Coupee Parish.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 653 sqmi, of which 619 sqmi is land and 34 sqmi (5.2%) is water. Iberville Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 30 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 30
 * [[Image:Louisiana 69 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 69
 * [[Image:Louisiana 75 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 75
 * [[Image:Louisiana 76 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 76
 * [[Image:Louisiana 77 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 77

Adjacent parishes

 * Pointe Coupee Parish (northwest)
 * West Baton Rouge Parish (north)
 * East Baton Rouge Parish (northeast)
 * Ascension Parish (east)
 * Assumption Parish (southeast)
 * Iberia Parish (south)
 * St. Martin Parish (west)

National protected area

 * Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Cities

 * Plaquemine (parish seat)
 * St. Gabriel (largest municipality)

Towns

 * Maringouin
 * White Castle

Villages

 * Grosse Tete
 * Rosedale

Census-designated places

 * Bayou Goula
 * Crescent
 * Dorseyville or Dorcyville (home of St John Baptist Church - National Register of Historic Places)

Other unincorporated communities

 * Alhambra
 * Bayou Pigeon
 * Bayou Sorrel
 * Iberville (home of Schexnayder House - National Register of Historic Places)
 * Indian Village (on January 28, 1863, during Civil War, was the site of a Union-Confederate military skirmish)
 * Seymourville

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,241 people, 10,903 households, and 7,372 families residing in the parish. The 2019 census-estimates determined 32,822 people lived in the parish, down from 33,387 at the 2010 United States census, and up from 33,320 at the 2000 U.S. census.

In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 48.2% Black and African American, 49.6% non-Hispanic white, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% some other race, and 1.5% two or more races. Approximately 2.6% of the population were Hispanic and Latin American of any race. In 2010, its racial and ethnic makeup was 49.3% Black and African American, 48.8% non-Hispanic white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% some other race, and 0.8% from two or more races; 2.0% were Hispanic and Latin American of any race. At the 2000 census. 49.26% were non-Hispanic white, 49.7% African American, 0.18% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races; 1.03% were Hispanic and Latin American of any race.

There were 10,903 households at the 2019 census-estimates, and 13,396 housing units. Of the 2,697 businesses operating in the parish, 1,339 were minority-owned. The parish had an employment rate of 47.9%. There was a home-ownership rate of 73.4%, and the median housing value was $143,700; the median gross rent was $755. The median income for a household was $50,161; males had a median income of $54,655 versus $30,773 for females; 27.6% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Among its religious population in 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives determined there were 1,700 non-denominational Protestants, and 7,901 Roman Catholics. Non-denominational Christianity was the largest non-Catholic demographic, reflecting the rise of non/inter-denominationalism.

Government and infrastructure
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates two prisons, Elayn Hunt Correctional Center and Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW), in St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish. LCIW houses the female death row.

Primary and secondary schools
Iberville Parish School Board operates the public schools within all of Iberville Parish.

Public libraries
Iberville Parish Library operates libraries in the parish. The Parish Headquarters Library is located in Plaquemine. Branches include Bayou Pigeon (Unincorporated area), Bayou Sorrel (Unincorporated area), East Iberville (St. Gabriel), Grosse Tete (Grosse Tete), Maringouin (Maringouin), Rosedale (Rosedale), White Castle (White Castle).

Colleges and universities
It is in the service area of South Louisiana Community College.

National Guard
The Gillis W. Long Center, located on the outskirts of Carville, LA, is operated by the Louisiana Army National Guard. This post is home to the 415TH MI (Military Intelligence) Battalion, the 241ST MPAD, and the 61st Troop Command. The 415TH MI is a subunit of the 139TH RSG (regional support group).

title: Iberville Parish, Louisiana