text:
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

St. Mary Parish (Paroisse de Sainte-Marie) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,406. The parish seat is Franklin. The parish was created in 1811.

St. Mary Parish comprises the Morgan City, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City, LA Combined Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1119 sqmi, of which 555 sqmi is land and 564 sqmi (50%) is water. Cypremort Point State Park is located in the parish on Vermilion Bay.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49 (Future).svg|25px]] Future Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:Louisiana 83 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 83
 * [[Image:Louisiana 87 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 87
 * [[Image:Louisiana 182 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 182
 * [[Image:Louisiana 317 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 317
 * [[Image:Louisiana 318 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 318

Adjacent parishes

 * Iberia Parish (north)
 * St. Martin Parish (east)
 * Assumption Parish (southeast)
 * Terrebonne Parish (south)

Protected areas
The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.

National protected area

 * Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge

State protected areas
Part of the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within St. Mary Parish as well as in St. Martin and Iberia Parishes.

Cities

 * Franklin (parish seat)
 * Morgan City
 * Patterson

Towns

 * Baldwin
 * Berwick

Census-designated places

 * Amelia
 * Bayou Vista
 * Charenton
 * Glencoe
 * Siracusaville
 * Sorrel

Other unincorporated areas

 * Centerville
 * Florence
 * Garden City

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,406 people, 19,856 households, and 11,354 families residing in the parish. As of the census of 2000, there were 53,500 people, 19,317 households, and 14,082 families residing in the parish. The population density was 87 /mi2. There were 21,650 housing units at an average density of 35 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 62.79% White, 31.79% Black or African American, 1.39% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. 2.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 5.43% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home, while 2.45% speak Spanish and 1.59% Vietnamese.

There were 19,317 households, out of which 36.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 16.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 29.70% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $28,072, and the median income for a family was $33,064. Males had a median income of $31,570 versus $18,341 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,399. About 20.60% of families and 23.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.30% of those under age 18 and 19.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education
St. Mary Parish School Board operates local public schools.

The Chitimacha Day School, affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), is in the Charenton community of unincorporated St. Mary Parish.

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

Media
St. Mary Parish has two daily newspapers, the Morgan City Daily Review (circulation under 6,000) and the Franklin Banner-Tribune in Franklin (circulation 3,350).

National Guard
B Company 2-156TH Infantry Battalion of the 256TH IBCT resides in Franklin, Louisiana. This unit has deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010.

Politics
St. Mary Parish used to be a swing parish. Between 1928 and 2008, the county only voted for losing presidential candidates in 1948, 1968, and 1980, with none of these candidates receiving a majority. Since 2008, the county has become more Republican leaning, with Donald Trump breaking 60% of the vote in both of his runs.

Notable people

 * Alexander Allain (1920 – 1994), lawyer, library advocate who was one of the 100 most influential library leaders of the 20th century. The Louisiana Library Association named its annual intellectual freedom award for him.
 * Bret Allain (born c. 1958), sugar cane farmer and the current District 21 state senator from St. Mary Parish
 * Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915–1987), state House Speaker from 1952 to 1956 and lieutenant governor from 1960 to 1972
 * Carl W. Bauer (1933-2013), attorney-lobbyist; former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature
 * Ralph Norman Bauer (1899-1963), attorney; former Speaker of the Louisiana House; a leader of the impeachment forces against Governor Huey P. Long, Jr., in 1929
 * V.J. Bella (born 1927), former state representative (1972–1990) and state fire marshal (1990–1992; 1996–2004)
 * Elizabeth Bisland (1861–1929), noted journalist and author
 * Sally Clausen, former president of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammoned and Louisiana commissioner of higher education; reared in St. Mary Parish
 * Thomas G. Clausen, Louisiana education superintendent from 1984 to 1988; reared in St. Mary Parish
 * Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. (1930-2020), governor of Louisiana from 1996 to 2004
 * Sam S. Jones, state representative for St. Mary Parish since 2008
 * Geronimo Pratt, Vietnam War veteran who served twenty-seven years in prison wrongfully accused of murder
 * William Joseph Seymour (born 1870), considered to be the most influential African American minister of the twentieth century and pastor of the famous Azusa Street Revival
 * Lester Vetter, reared in St. Mary Parish; mayor of Coushatta prior to 1952 and state representative for Red River Parish from 1952 until his death in office in 1960
 * Warren Wells, Pro football player for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders
 * Dale Hawkins, (born 1936, died 2010) pioneer of swamp rock boogie

title: St. Mary Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

St. Martin Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. At the 2020 census, the population was 51,767. St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan area in the region of Acadiana, along the Gulf Coast.

History
In 1811, parts of Attakapas Parish were taken out to create St. Martin and St. Mary parishes. In 1824, St. Martin Parish was divided, resulting in the creation also of Lafayette Parish. In 1844, St. Martin Parish was again divided, yielding Vermilion Parish. In 1868, Iberia Parish was formed from parts of St. Martin Parish and St. Mary Parish. St. Martin Parish was divided into two, as part of Iberia Parish runs between the two non-contiguous parts of St. Martin Parish.

St. Martin Parish was largely colonized in the late 1700s by people from France and Acadia. Their descendants have maintained the use of French and form a large concentration of French-speakers in the 21st century.

The Acadians brought the tale of Evangeline, a young woman said to have been separated from her mortally wounded betrothed during their expulsion by the British from their territory in eastern Canada. According to the tale, Evangeline later met her betrothed again in St. Martin Parish, but he had already committed to a new love. Evangeline never recovered from the shock of both finding and losing him again. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's work, Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie, was based on this story.

Evangeline was and remains an icon of Acadian and American culture. The historical Evangeline, who is believed by some to have been an orphan girl named Emmeline Labiche, was purportedly buried on the grounds of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville.

St. Martin became a very prosperous parish, growing rapidly in the early 1800s. Most of the revenue at that time was being made by raising cattle. Planters also had profitable commodity crops such as cotton, sugar, corn, rice, and tobacco. These were sold to the New Orleans market. Wealthy planters depended on enslaved African Americans as labor on their plantations. By 1860, there were more than 7,000 enslaved African Americans in the parish. There were also numerous Anglo-American slaves brought to the parish.

A yellow fever epidemic in 1855, followed by a deadly fire and a destructive hurricane, ended an era of unbridled prosperity for elite whites. Combined with the effects of the American Civil War and Reconstruction, the parish elite struggled in the postwar years. The transition to freedom for African Americans was uneven, as whites soon tried to reimpose supremacy and effectively denying them the franchise.

Geography
The parish of St. Martin is split into two non-contiguous parts because of a surveying error dating to 1868, when Iberia Parish was created by the Louisiana Legislature. Iberia Parish divides St. Martin Parish into two separate areas, Upper and Lower St. Martin. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 816 sqmi, of which 738 sqmi is land and 79 sqmi (9.7%) is water. St. Martin Parish is in the Atchafalaya Basin, with Bayou Teche running through it. The bayou was used to ship products to New Orleans.

St. Martin Parish has a wealth of oak and magnolia trees.

Protected areas
The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.

National protected area

 * Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State protected areas
Part of the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within St. Martin Parish as well as in St. Mary and Iberia parishes.

Cities

 * Breaux Bridge (largest municipality)
 * Broussard (partial)
 * St. Martinville (parish seat)

Towns

 * Arnaudville
 * Henderson

Village

 * Parks

Census-designated places

 * Cade
 * Catahoula
 * Cecilia

Unincorporated communities

 * Butte La Rose
 * Coteau Holmes
 * Gecko
 * Nina Station
 * Ruth

Demographics
At the 2000 United States census, there were 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. The population density was 66 PD/sqmi. There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of 27 /sqmi. The 2019 American Community Survey determined 53,732 people lived in St. Martin Parish. The median age of its population was 37.7, and 6.9% of its population were under 5 years of age; of the population aged 18 and older, they made up 75.7% of the population, and people aged 65 and older were 14.7% of the total population. By the 2020 United States census, there were 51,767 people, 19,749 households, and 13,960 families residing in the parish.

In 2000 the racial makeup of the parish was 65.95% White, 31.98% Black or African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.20% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 U.S. census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only English at home, 27.44% reported speaking French (Colonial French also known as Plantation Society French) or Cajun French at home, while 1.52% speak Louisiana Creole French. St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States.

In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Martin was 66.8% non-Hispanic white, 29.1% Black and African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% some other race, 2.1% multiracial, and 3.0% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. An estimated 1.0% of the parish were foreign-born from 2014 to 2019. At the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites declined to 63.59% of the population; Black or African Americans were 29.07% of the population, and Hispanic and Latino Americans made up 3.24% of the population.

In 2000 there were 17,164 households, out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22. The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over. There were 19,749 households at the 2019 U.S. census estimates, and 4,800 businesses operating in the parish. The parish had an employment rate of 53.8%, and its population lived in 23,384 housing units. There was a median gross rent of $658 and the median household income was $48,656. Approximately 18.9% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line, and males earned $51,609 versus $32,748 for females from 2015 to 2019.

Education
Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the St. Martin Parish School Board. South Louisiana Community College's service area includes the northern part and Fletcher Technical Community College's service area includes the southern part.

Major highways

 * I-10.svg Interstate 10
 * I-49 (Future).svg Future Interstate 49
 * US 90.svg U.S. Highway 90
 * Louisiana 31 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 31
 * Louisiana 70 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 70
 * Louisiana 94 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 94
 * Louisiana 96 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 96
 * Louisiana 328 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 328
 * Louisiana 347 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 347
 * Louisiana 353 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 353

Notable people

 * Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996 pageant winner
 * Scott Angelle, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, former member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, former lieutenant governor, unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2015
 * Calvin Borel, American Thoroughbred Jockey and 3-time Kentucky Derby winner
 * Gerald Boudreaux, state senator for St. Martin Parish, effective January 2016
 * Etnah Rochon Boutte, French teacher, pharmacist in Harlem
 * Jake Delhomme, retired NFL quarterback
 * Mike "Pete" Huval, state representative; former member of the St. Martin Parish Council
 * Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana, Former Attorney General of Louisiana; former U.S. representative
 * James D. Simon, state senator

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

title: St. Martin Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana

St. Landry Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Landry) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 82,540. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807.

St. Landry Parish comprises the Opelousas, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), which is also included in the Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City, LA Combined Statistical Area. It is at the heart of Creole and Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana.

French and Spanish Territory
The land that became St. Landry Parish was inhabited since at least 10,500 B.C., as deduced from excavations of three prehistoric dwelling sites. By the 15th century, the Opelousa Indians settled in the area situated between Atchafalaya River and Sabine River (at the border of Texas-Louisiana). The Opelousa were war-like and preyed on neighbors to defend their own territory.

The first European recorded in the Opelousa territory was a French trader named Michel de Birotte. He came in 1690 and negotiated with the Opelousa nation. Nine years later, France named Louisiana as a colony and defined the land occupied by the Opelousa as the Opelousas Territory. The area south of the Opelousas Territory between the Atchafalaya River, the Gulf of Mexico and Bayou Nezpique, occupied by the Atakapas Indians (Eastern Atakapa), was named Atakapas Territory.

In 1764, France established the Opelousas Post slightly north of the contemporary city of Opelousas (near present-day Washington). It was a major trading organization for the developing area. In addition, France established the Attakapas Post (near the present-day St. Martinville) in the Attakapas Territory, in 1765. France gave land grants to soldiers and settlers to encourage development. Most settlers were French immigrants. Tradition says that Jean Joseph LeKintrek and Joseph Blainpain, who had formed a partnership to trade with the Opelousa Indians, came in the early 1740s. They brought three enslaved Africans, the first to live in the area.

Some Indians sold land to the newcomers. When the Eastern Attakapas Chief Kinemo sold all the land between Vermilion River and Bayou Teche to Frenchman Gabriel Fuselier de la Claire in 1760, however, the angry Opelousa tribe exterminated the Attakapas (Eastern Atakapa).

France ceded Louisiana and its territories to Spain in 1762. Under Spanish rule, Opelousas Post became the center of government for Southwest Louisiana. By 1769 about 100 families were living in Opelousas Post. Between 1780 and 1820, the first settlers were joined by others coming from the Attakapas Territory, from the Pointe Coupée Territory, and east from the Atchafalaya River area. They were joined by immigrants from the French West Indies, who left after Haiti/St. Domingue became independent in a slave revolution. Most of the new settlers were French, Spaniards, French Creoles, Spanish Creoles, Africans and African-Americans.

The group from Attakapas Post included many Acadians. These were French who migrated from Nova Scotia in 1763, after their expulsion by the English in the aftermath of France's defeat in the Seven Years' War (known in North America as the French and Indian War). They were led by Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie. D'Abbadie was Governor of the territory from 1763 to 1765. The French community built St. Landry Catholic Church by 1766, dedicated to St. Landry (Landericus) of Paris, the Bishop of Paris in the 7th century.

On April 10, 1805, after the United States had acquired the Louisiana Purchase, the post was named the town of Opelousas and became the seat of the County of Opelousas, part of the Territory of Orleans. In 1807, when the territory was reorganized into parishes, Opelousas was designated the seat of St. Landry Parish.

Purchase by the United States
The United States gained control of the territory in 1803 through the Louisiana Purchase. Americans from the South and other parts of the United States began to migrate to the area, marking the arrival of the first large English-speaking population and the introduction of the need for more general use of English.

St. Landry Parish was officially established on April 10, 1805, by a legislative act, becoming the largest parish in the Louisiana state. The new parish was named after the St. Landry Catholic Church located near the Opelousas Post. The parish's boundaries encompassed about half the land of the Opelousas Territory, between the Atchafalaya River and Sabine River, between Rapides Parish and Vernon Parish, and Lafayette and St. Martin Parishes. Since then, the area of the parish has decreased, as six additional parishes have been created from its territory. These include Calcasieu, Acadia, Evangeline, Jeff Davis, Beauregard, and Allen.

In 1821 the second educational institution west of the Mississippi was founded in Grand Coteau. In this community south of Opelousas is the Academy of the Sacred Heart, a private Catholic school founded by the French Creole community.

The city of Opelousas has been the seat of government for the St. Landry Parish since its formation. After Baton Rouge fell to the Union troops during the Civil War in 1862, Opelousas became the state capital for nine months. The capital was moved again in 1863, this time to Shreveport when Union troops occupied Opelousas.

St. Landry Parish originally consisted of all the territory in the current parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, and St. Landry. Over time, it was separated into three different parishes. The southwestern portion of St. Landry was broken off to become Acadia Parish in 1886. A bill was introduced in the Louisiana House of Representatives entitled "An act to create the parish of Nicholls, and to provide for the organization thereof." The title was later changed to read: "An act to create the parish of Acadia." Father Joseph Anthonioz, the first pastor of the Catholic Church at Rayne, is credited with having suggested the name, Acadia Parish. The bill passed the house on June 11, the senate on June 28, and was approved by Governor Samuel D. McEnery on June 30. On October 6, an election was held to affirm the creation of the parish, with 2,516 votes for and 1,521 votes against the creation.

St. Landry was divided again when the northwestern portion was broken away. In June 1908, a bill was passed to create a new parish out of a portion of St. Landry Parish. This new parish became named Evangeline Parish in 1910. Prior to creation of the new parish, Eunice and Ville Platte were in competition for the new parish seat. Ville Platte was selected by voters on April 12, 1909. After the election, Eunice declared it would remain in St. Landry Parish.

Opelousas massacre
In the aftermath of the ratification of Louisiana's Constitution of 1868 and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, tensions between white Democrats and Black Republicans in St. Landry Parish escalated throughout the summer of 1868. On September 28, white schoolteacher and Republican newspaper editor Emerson Bentley was attacked and beaten by three white supremacists while teaching a classroom of Black children in Opelousas, Louisiana. Rumors of Bentley's death, while unfounded, led both Black Republicans and white supremacist Democrats, including the St. Landry Parish chapter of the Knights of the White Camelia, to threaten violent retribution. In the days following Bentley's subsequent covert flight to New Orleans, the massacre began. Heavily outnumbered, Black citizens were chased, captured, shot, murdered, and lynched during the following weeks. While estimates of casualties vary widely, several sources number the deaths between 200 and 300 black people and several dozen whites, making it the bloodiest massacres of the Reconstruction Era and among the deadliest in American history. Following the massacre, the Republican Party in St. Landry Parish was eliminated for several years.

2019 black church fires
During 10 days, three black churches, the St. Mary Baptist Church over 100 years old (March 26, 2019), Greater Union Baptist Church (April 2, 2019), and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (April 4, 2019) set on fire by a vandal and this incident raised officials concern that the fires started by racist and radical group or person. Finally, police arrested the vandal who was the son of a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy. Holden Matthews, 21, has been charged with the arson attack on black churches.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 939 sqmi, of which 924 sqmi is land and 15 sqmi (0.6%) is water.

Adjacent parishes

 * Avoyelles Parish (north)
 * Pointe Coupee Parish (east)
 * St. Martin Parish (southeast)
 * Lafayette Parish (south)
 * Acadia Parish (southwest)
 * Evangeline Parish (west and northwest)

National protected areas

 * Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (part, in Eunice)

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49.svg|20px]] Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 167.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:US 190.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 10 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 10
 * [[Image:Louisiana 13 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 13
 * [[Image:Louisiana 29 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 29
 * [[Image:Louisiana 31 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 31
 * [[Image:Louisiana 35 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 35
 * [[Image:Louisiana 91 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 91
 * [[Image:Louisiana 93 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 93
 * [[Image:Louisiana 103 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 103
 * [[Image:Louisiana 182 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 182

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 82,540 people, 30,441 households, and 20,790 families residing in the parish.

Law enforcement
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office (SLPSO) is the primary law enforcement agency of St. Landry Parish. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. the sheriff of St. Landry Parish is Bobby J. Guidroz.

The office briefly became the subject of national attention in 2015 when its eccentric Crime Stoppers videos, starring public relations officer (later U.S. Representative) Clay Higgins, went viral and were featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Higgins left the department after the videos attracted criticism from the ACLU and Sheriff Guidroz ordered that future videos be "toned down".

Education
St. Landry Parish is served by the St. Landry Parish School Board

 * Arnaudville Elementary (Grades 5–8)
 * Beau Chene High School (Grades 9–12) (unincorporated Arnaudville)
 * Cankton Elementary (Grades PK-4) (Cankton)
 * Central Middle School (Grades 5–6)
 * East Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Eunice Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Eunice High School (Grades 9–12)
 * Eunice Jr. High School (Grades 7–8)
 * Glendale Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Grand Coteau Elementary (Grades PK-4) (Grand Coteau)
 * Grand Prairie Elementary (Grades PK-4) (unincorporated Washington)
 * Grolee Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Highland Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Krotz Springs Elementary (Grades PK-8)
 * Lawtell Elementary (Grades PK-8) (Lawtell)
 * Leonville Elementary (Grades PK-8)
 * North Central High School (Grades 9–12) (unincorporated Washington)
 * Northeast Elementary (Grades PK-6)
 * Northwest High School (Grades 9–12) (unincorporated Opelousas)
 * Opelousas Jr. High School (Grades 7–8)
 * Opelousas Sr. High School (Grades 9–12)
 * Palmetto Elementary (Grades PK-4) (Palmetto)
 * Park Vista Elementary (Grades PK-6)
 * Plaisance Elementary (Grades 5–8) (unincorporated Opelousas)
 * Port Barre Elementary (Grades PK-4)
 * Port Barre High School (Grades 5–12)
 * South Street Elementary (Grades PK-6)
 * Sunset Elementary (Grades 5–8)
 * Washington Elementary (Grades PK-8)

St. Landry Parish is also served by the Diocese of Lafayette with five schools:

 * Academy of the Sacred Heart (Grades PK-12) (Grand Coteau)
 * Berchman's Academy of the Sacred Heart (Grades PK-12) (Grand Coteau)
 * Opelousas Catholic School (Grades PK-12) (Opelousas)
 * St. Edmunds Catholic School (Grades PK-12) (Eunice)
 * St. Ignatius Catholic School (Grades PK-8) (Grand Coteau)

Additionally, St. Landry Parish is served by four unaffiliated private schools:
 * Good Shephard Montessori School (Grades PK-8) (Port Barre)
 * Melville Private School (Grades PK-7) (Melville)
 * Opelousas Family Worship School (Grades PK-12) (Opelousas)
 * Westminster Christian Academy (Grades PK-12)

St. Landry Parish is served by two institutions of higher education:
 * Louisiana State University at Eunice
 * South Louisiana Community College service area, T. H. Harris Campus (Opelousas)

Cities

 * Eunice
 * Opelousas (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

 * Arnaudville
 * Grand Coteau
 * Krotz Springs
 * Leonville
 * Melville
 * Port Barre
 * Sunset
 * Washington

Villages

 * Cankton
 * Palmetto

Census-designated place

 * Lawtell

Other unincorporated communities

 * LeBeau
 * Lemoyen
 * Morrow
 * Plaisance

Notable people

 * Lottie Beebe
 * Rod Bernard
 * Carl A. Brasseaux
 * Gerald Boudreaux
 * Lonnie Brooks
 * Tony Chachere
 * Clifton Chenier
 * Cat Doucet
 * Gilbert L. Dupré
 * E. D. Estilette
 * Gordon (slave)
 * Curtis J. Guillory
 * Elbert Guillory
 * Clay Higgins
 * Rodney Milburn
 * Paul Prudhomme
 * Devery Henderson

title: St. Landry Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana

St. John the Baptist Parish (SJBP, Paroisse de Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 42,477. The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area, and the largest city is LaPlace, which is also unincorporated.

St. John the Baptist Parish was established in 1807 as one of the original 19 parishes of the Territory of Orleans, which became the state of Louisiana.

St. John the Baptist Parish is part of the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area.

This was considered part of the German Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries, named for numerous German immigrants who settled along the Mississippi River here in the 1720s. On January 8, 1811, the largest slave insurrection in US history, known as the German Coast Uprising, started here. It was short-lived, but more than 200 slaves gathered from plantations along the river and marched through St. Charles Parish toward New Orleans. This is part of the Sugarland or sugar parishes, which were devoted to sugar cane cultivation. Planters held large numbers of enslaved African Americans as workers before the Civil War. Many freedmen stayed in the area after emancipation because of their ties to family and associates. They worked as tenant farmers, and numerous freedmen stayed in the area to work on these plantations afterward.

The parish includes three nationally significant examples of 19th-century plantation architecture: Evergreen Plantation, the Whitney Plantation Historic District, and San Francisco Plantation House.

History
Present-day St. John the Baptist Parish includes the third permanent settlement in what is now the state of Louisiana, after Natchitoches (1714) and New Orleans (1718). It was considered part of the German Coast. The area was settled in the early 1720s by a group of German Catholic colonists. Many families established settlements close to the Mississippi River in the areas now known as Lucy, Garyville, and Reserve. The area was under the French regime until 1763, when France ceded Louisiana to Spain after losing the Seven Years' War to Great Britain (this was known as the French and Indian War on the North American front).

At the beginning of the Spanish colonial period, many Acadians, people of French descent, began arriving in south Louisiana due to being expelled by the British from what is now Nova Scotia and eastern Canada. The British took over French territory in Canada and in North America east of the Mississippi River. The first Acadian village in Louisiana was established in what is now Wallace. The German and French cultures thrived alongside one another, but French came to be the dominant language. They developed a culture known as Cajun.

In 1769, Acadians who settled in the area began a search for land to build a church. The governing Spanish authority at the time approved the request, and the land was expropriated on February 21, 1770. The first church stood in the same location as the modern St. John the Baptist Church. The new church carried the same name as the original chapel of the German Coast settlement.

The first pastor was Spanish Capuchin Father Bernardo de Limpach. The first church records note a marriage between Antoine Manz and Sibylla Bischof in 1772. The first church survived until being swept away by floodwaters in 1821.

The early settlers in the area received land grants from the Spanish or French royal governments, depending upon which country ruled the territory at the time of application. The French style of property allotments was made up of narrow frontage on the river so that each plantation had access for transportation of goods to and from New Orleans and world markets. The main house and supporting outbuildings were constructed near the river. The remaining property extended away from the river deeply into the wetlands, where land was cleared for cultivation of sugar cane.

For decades into the 19th century, most transportation was done by boat, mainly on the bayous and lakes of the area, but via the Mississippi River as well. St. John, with its fertile land being nine feet above sea level, proved to be an excellent settlement for farming and agriculture. In the late 18th century, planters began to invest more in labor-intensive sugar cane cultivation and processing, increasing their demand for slave labor. Sugar production meant prosperity for the planters and New Orleans. Planters held large numbers of enslaved African Americans. The sugar and cotton parishes all had Black majorities of population before the Civil War.

With the sugar wealth, some wealthy planters built elaborate houses and outbuildings. Three survive in St. John parish; each is recognized for its national architectural and historic significance. On the west bank are the major complex of house and outbuildings designated as the Whitney Plantation Historic District and the National Historic Landmark (NHL) of Evergreen Plantation. San Francisco Plantation House, also a designated NHL, is on the east bank.

San Francisco and Evergreen plantations are open to the public for tours. The Whitney plantation house is planned for renovation. Whitney and Evergreen plantations are both included among the first 26 sites on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.

In January 1811, the German Coast Uprising started in this parish. It was the largest slave insurrection in US history, but it was short-lived. The slaves killed two whites, but suffered 96 deaths among their forces at the hands of the militia and in executions after quick trials afterward. They attacked five plantations and burned three houses to the ground. A major leader was Charles Deslondes, a mulatto (mixed-race) slave brought by a planter from Saint-Domingue in the late 18th century. He and his followers were influenced by the ideals and promises of the French and Haitian revolutions. France ended slavery on Saint-Domingue after its own Revolution, but tried to reimpose it. Slaves and free people of color rebelled, gaining independence after huge losses among French regular forces sent by Napoleon to retake the island.

Deslondes gathered more than 200 slaves from plantations along the way, marching downriver into St. Charles Parish toward New Orleans before meeting much resistance. Unable to get the arms they had planned on, the slaves were defeated by the well-armed informal and territorial militias. During these confrontations and even more by summary executions after brief trials, Deslondes and ninety-five slaves were killed. Decades before the American Civil War and emancipation, the actions of these people expressed African Americans' deep desire for freedom.

As the number of white families in the settlement increased, they wanted education for their children. Before the Civil War, typically planters would hire tutors, often college graduates from the North, who would live with the family for an extended period of time, typically two years. The tutor would teach all of the planter's children, and sometimes the family would arrange for other neighborhood children to join the classes as well. There was no public education.

In 1869, following the Civil War, families wanting French instruction founded private schools to continue their culture. The Anglo-Americans had imposed English as the official language. The Reconstruction legislature, with both African American and white representatives, established the first public schools in the state during this period. It took time for the state to arrange adequate funding for public education. In the segregated system, education for Black children was less well funded and lagged behind that for whites. The first high schools at Edgard and Reserve were not built until 1909. Students traveled to the schools by horse-drawn buses or by train.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 348 sqmi, of which 213 sqmi are land and 135 sqmi (39%) are water. It is the third-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and fifth-smallest by total area.

St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana is located on the Mississippi River approximately 130 mi upriver from the Gulf of Mexico and 30 mi upriver from the City of New Orleans. The area, known as the River Region, has an abundance of natural resources and a mild "Sunbelt" climate. The average monthly temperature in New Orleans ranges from 55.1 F in January to 83.7 F in July, and rainfall averages 53.2 in per year with monthly averages running from 2.52 in in October to 7.17 in in July. The New Orleans/River Region contains a good supply of raw materials, which has helped Louisiana maintain a high rank in the United States in the production of natural gas, petroleum, sulfur, salt, and fur pelts. High silica sands, lime, clays, timber, seafood, and various agricultural products are also produced in abundance.

St. John the Baptist Parish is bisected by the Mississippi River. Though the River separates the Parish into northern and southern parts, the former is still referred to as the "east bank" and the latter as the "west bank," referring to the direction of the river as it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi provides an important transportation corridor which supports the heavy industry located in the area.

St. John the Baptist Parish is bordered by St. Charles Parish and Lake Pontchartrain to the east, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas to the north, Lafourche Parish and Lac des Allemands to the south, and St. James Parish to the west. It is one of four parishes which comprise the "River Parishes;" St. John Parish is the heart of the "River Parishes."

This section of the state, also consisting of St. James, Ascension, and St. Charles Parishes, makes up the area along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Since the mid-20th century, when the oil industry developed from resources found here, all of these parishes are home to at least one major chemical- and/or petroleum-processing facility. The industry is the major source of employment in the region but it has had adverse environmental effects. St. John the Baptist parish has the highest rate of environmental cancer of any census tract in the United States.

Much of the parish is either open water or wetlands. The wetlands are currently protected by federal law and development is limited to what is permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or the Federal Wildlife and Fisheries Department.

Higher ground in the parish is found in an alluvial plain which generally borders the Mississippi River on both sides. Soil deposits from the Mississippi's annual flooding created a rich and fertile area which has historically been intensively farmed (sugar cane, soybeans, feed corn, and occasional cotton). This fact, and the natural transportation corridor supplied by the river, resulted in the creation of numerous plantations and farms along the lower Mississippi Valley.

Many of these plantations were large tracts of land with modest or average-sized homes and outbuildings found on the higher ground. Several, however, were improved with palatial mansions. Three of the larger homes have survived in St. John Parish, as noted in the History above.

The higher ground along the banks was used to grow crops, while the wetlands were valued for their abundant timber, hunting and fishing. For years development in the River Parishes was limited to those areas that were naturally higher and less prone to flooding. Until the existing levees and pump systems were built, however, few places were truly safe from high water. Even today, most of the parish is considered a flood hazard area according to FEMA Flood Maps.

Adjacent parishes

 * Tangipahoa Parish (north)
 * St. Charles Parish (southeast)
 * Lafourche Parish (south)
 * St. James Parish (west)
 * Ascension Parish (northwest)
 * Livingston Parish (northwest)

Communities

St. John the Baptist Parish has no incorporated areas.

Census-designated places

 * Edgard
 * Garyville
 * LaPlace
 * Pleasure Bend
 * Reserve
 * Wallace

Unincorporated communities

 * Mount Airy
 * Welcome
 * Dutch Bayou
 * Cornland
 * Lions

Ghost Towns

 * St. John the Baptist Parish had two more communities on its east bank, Ruddock and Frenier, which were settled on the isthmus between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, 10 mi NNE of LaPlace. In 1892, Ruddock founded by the Ruddock Cypress Company was made into a sawmill town. In September 1915, the 1915 New Orleans Hurricane hit Ruddock and the nearby town of Frenier, destroying the towns and killing some of the residents. Today, Ruddock and Frenier are ghost towns in the parish as well as memorials to themselves. All that remains of Ruddock is rotted wood from Buildings and vegetation. Yet Freneir still has a few buildings being seafood restaurants and a small number of houses all of which are built high to prevent flooding. Nevertheless, Ruddock is still marked on an I-55 exit sign and both are seen on Louisiana road maps, Freneir still has an entrance sign on Highway 51 marking it as a fishing village. It can be seen off I-10 on Lake Pontchartrain.

Demographics
The 2019 census estimates determined 42,242 people lived in the parish. The racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 56.5% Black and African American, 38.2% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% Asian, 2.7% some other race, and 1.5% multiracial; of the population, 6.1% were Hispanic and Latin American of any race. Among the population, Spanish was the second most-spoken language as of 2019; approximately 4.0% of the parish population were foreign-born. French ancestry was the largest heritage among the parish population (9.7%).

In 2019, there were 15,720 households living in 17,778 housing units. There were also 3,758 businesses operating in the parish, with the majority being minority-owned. The parish had an employment rate of 56.2% in 2019, and 78.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied units. The median home value was $153,900, and median gross rent was $933. The median household income was $57,429; males had a median income of $53,849 versus $36,476 for females. An estimated 24.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

By the publication of the 2020 United States census, there were 42,477 people, 15,270 households, and 11,104 families residing in the parish. Among the parish population, 56.68% of the population were Black and African American, 31.42% non-Hispanic white, 0.25% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.15% multiracial or some other race, and 7.75% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. The increase in Hispanic or Latinos and other non-White Americans has been attributed to a nationwide demographic shift.

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, with Christianity being the predominant religion, Roman Catholics numbered 15,068 adherents—remaining the historically largest single Christian denomination for the parish. Non- or inter-denominational churches spread among the independent congregationalist, Bible, and United and Uniting churches were the second largest Christian group, numbering 7,230; the increase in non/inter-denominational Protestant Christianity reflected increasing ecumenical trends throughout the state.

Government
St. John the Baptist Parish leans heavily towards the Democratic Party. It has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984, and before that voted Republican only three other times in the 20th century: for Warren G. Harding in 1920, when Acadian voters broke with President Woodrow Wilson over various issues, for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, when he flipped the state as a whole, and for Richard Nixon in 1972, when he won all but one parish in Louisiana. It also supported the third-party bid of George Wallace in 1968.

Prior to passage of the 1898 constitution, which almost completely disenfranchised black voters and made Louisiana an effective one-party state, St. John the Baptist Parish generally voted Republican. In fact, it did so in every presidential election from 1872 until 1896.

At the state level, the parish is also heavily Democratic. St. John the Baptist was Governor John Bel Edwards' second strongest in the 2019 election, giving him 74% of the vote.

Education
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board operates 10 public schools within the parish, the Archdiocese of New Orleans oversees 5 religious schools within the parish and there are 2 privately run schools within the parish.

http://www.louisianabelieves.com/data/reportcards/2013/

It is in the service area of Delgado Community College.

National Guard
The 1084th Transportation Company of the 165th CSS Battalion of the Louisiana National Guard resides in Reserve, Louisiana.

Major highways

 * I-10.svg Interstate 10
 * I-55.svg Interstate 55
 * US 51.svg U.S. Highway 51
 * US 61.svg U.S. Highway 61
 * Louisiana 18 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 18
 * Louisiana 44 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 44
 * Louisiana 3127 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 3127
 * Louisiana 3188 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 3188
 * Louisiana 3213 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 3213

East Bank - The primary artery on the east bank of St. John Parish is Airline Highway (U.S. Highway 61). This five-lane, asphalt-paved road was once the predominant route linking Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Though it is still heavily traveled, much of the New Orleans-Baton Rouge traffic has been diverted to Interstate 10, located in the northern part of the parish. Interstate 10, a divided, controlled-access highway, has two interchanges in St. John Parish; one at Belle Terre Boulevard and the second at U.S. Highway 51/Interstate 55, both in LaPlace. Both Belle Terre Boulevard and Highway 51 intersect Airline Highway approximately 3.5 mi south of Interstate 10.

Interstate 55, a north–south route leading to Jackson, Mississippi, and beyond, intersects Interstate 10 in the northeastern sector of LaPlace. A third Interstate 10 interchange exists just west of the St. John Parish line near Gramercy (St. James Parish).

River Road, also known as Jefferson Highway or Louisiana Highway 44, is a two-lane, asphalt-paved, winding highway which parallels the Mississippi River. Most of the heavy industry in the parish fronts on this road.

West Bank - Most of the development on the west bank lies along Louisiana Highway 18 (the Great River Road), a two-lane, asphalt-paved highway which parallels the Mississippi River similarly to Highway 44 on the east bank. In addition to Louisiana 18, the west bank has Louisiana Highway 3127 or the River Parishes Highway, which is roughly equivalent to the east bank's Airline Highway in that it follows the Mississippi. It is not as winding nor as populated as River Road. Highway 3127 leads to Donaldsonville upriver from St. John Parish. It is home of the "Sunshine Bridge" over the Mississippi River in Ascension Parish. This road has little development on either side and is generally surrounded by wetlands in St. John Parish.

Veterans Memorial Bridge or Gramercy Bridge - (Louisiana Highway 3213) This bridge originates on the east bank of St. James Parish near Gramercy/Lutcher and has access to I-10 and Airline Highway via Louisiana Highway 641. The foot of the bridge on the west bank is in St. John Parish near Wallace, with a tie-in to Louisiana Highway 3127 that opened June 18, 2008. The opening of this bridge has spurred the development hoped for along the west bank of St. John Parish. (The bridge is known as the "Bridge to Nowhere.")

Access to the west bank of St. John Parish is also provided by a ferry crossing at Reserve/Edgard and by the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi in St. Charles Parish.

title: St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. James Parish, Louisiana

St. James Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Jacques) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Convent. The parish was created in 1807. St. James Parish is a part of the New Orleans–Metairie, Louisiana metropolitan statistical area, sitting between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. According to the 2020 United States census, the population was 20,192.

History
St. James is one of the state's nineteen original parishes, created by act of the territorial legislature, March 31, 1807. The original seat of government was the community of St. James, on the west bank of the Mississippi, but this was moved in 1869 to what is now Convent, on the east bank.

St. James Parish is part of the Acadian Coast. While it is possible that some Acadians did arrive prior to 1755 or between 1755 and 1764, the first documented group of Acadians [4 families: 20 individuals] arrived in New Orleans in February 1764. The arrival was documented in a letter dated April 6, 1764, from Governor D'Abbadie to his superior in France. They were settled along the Mississippi River in present-day St. James.

St. James is known for its tradition, Bonfires on the Levee, which takes place every Christmas Eve. Residents build large bonfires along the River levee, lighting them all at nightfall. The townsfolk tell the children that the purpose of this tradition is so Papa Noel can easily see his way down the Mississippi as he is delivering gifts.

St. James is the only cultivation site in the world for Perique tobacco, introduced by an Acadian exile, Pierre Chenet, whose nickname was "Perique." It has been produced by his descendants for nearly two centuries (now covering only a 300 acre tract) and is in great demand by large tobacco companies.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 258 sqmi, of which 242 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (6.4%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest parish in Louisiana by land area and second-smallest by total area.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-10.svg|25px]] Interstate 10
 * [[Image:US 61.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 61
 * [[Image:Louisiana 18 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 18
 * [[Image:Louisiana 20 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 20
 * [[Image:Louisiana 44 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 44
 * [[Image:Louisiana 70 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 70 (Sunshine Bridge across Mississippi River)
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3127 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3127
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3213 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3213 (Gramercy Bridge across Mississippi River)

Adjacent parishes

 * Ascension Parish (north)
 * St. John the Baptist Parish (east)
 * Lafourche Parish (south)
 * Assumption Parish (west)

Towns

 * Gramercy
 * Lutcher (largest town)

Census-designated places

 * Convent (parish seat)
 * Grand Point
 * Hester
 * Lemannville
 * Moonshine
 * North Vacherie
 * Paulina
 * Romeville
 * South Vacherie
 * St. James
 * Union
 * Welcome

Other unincorporated community

 * Vacherie

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,192 people, 7,719 households, and 5,732 families residing in the parish. Its racial and ethnic makeup in 2020 was 49.11% non-Hispanic white, 46.98% Black and African American, 0.145 Native American, 0.14% Asian, 1.93% other or mixed race, and 1.7% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup was 48.2% non-Hispanic white, 49.6% Black and African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% two or more races, and 1.7% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. At the 2010 census, the racial and ethnic composition of the parish was 50.6% Black or African American, 48.0% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.4% of some other race and 0.7% of two or more races. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latin American (of any race). An estimated 15.2% of the parish were of French ancestry at the 2019 census estimates. In 2000, 93.78% of the population spoke only English at home, while 4.97% spoke French or Cajun French.

There were 7,719 households and 8,919 housing units in 2019, and the median household income was $51,603; the median housing value was $158,500 and the median rent was $644. From 2015 to 2019, the parish had a poverty rate of 17.0%. In 2000, the median income for a household in the parish was $35,277, and the median income for a family was $41,751. Males had a median income of $37,487 versus $21,712 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $14,381. 20.70% of the population and 18.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 27.70% are under the age of 18 and 15.10% are 65 or older.

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church dominated the parish, with Christianity being the area's predominant religion since colonization. Roman Catholics numbered 19,342 while the National Baptist Convention of the United States of America had 2,180 members. Non/inter-denominational Protestants among the congregationalist, Bible, and United and Uniting churches numbered 1,060.

Economy
Approximately 85% of reported air pollution in the parish is produced by industries located in primarily Black census districts: Convent and Uncle Sam and the town of St James. These include the Shell Convent Refinery, an Occidental Chemical Factory, American Styrenics, and Mosaic Fertilizer.

Formosa Plastic Group plans to build a $9.4 billion petrochemical plant in the parish. The proposed plant site includes a plantation and the graves of enslaved people. The project has become the focal point of an environmental justice protest because of the expectant rise in pollution and the disrespect of the historic nature of the land involved.

Education
St. James Parish Public Schools serves all of St. James Parish.

Politics
The current parish president is Peter “Pete” Dufresne (D), who took office at the beginning of 2020. In 2016, his predecessor Timmy Roussel was indicted on corruption charges, when he was accused of having parish employees build a private natural gas line.

St. James Parish has been strongly Democratic for a century. However, Donald Trump performed well during his two campaigns, coming within ten points of carrying the parish in 2016 and within five points in 2020. The last Republican to win a majority of the parish's vote was Warren G. Harding in 1920, when Louisiana's Acadian population revolted against Woodrow Wilson because of his bitter disagreement with French President Georges Clemenceau. Dwight D. Eisenhower won a 17-vote plurality in 1956, and Richard Nixon also won a plurality in his 2,900-plus-county 1972 landslide.

title: St. James Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

St. Helena Parish (Paroisse de Sainte-Hélène; Parroquia de Santa Elena) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, the population was 10,920. Its seat is Greensburg. The parish was created in 1810. St. Helena Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

History
The parish is one of the eight Florida Parishes, a region which was once part of colonial West Florida. The area was annexed to the Territory of Orleans in 1810, after the short-lived Republic of West Florida capitulated to the United States.

In 1832, the southern section of the parish was taken to form Livingston Parish and the St. Helena parish seat was redesignated as Greensburg, where it remains today. St. Helena lost another portion of land in 1866, which was subsequently added to land from other parishes to form Tangipahoa Parish.

From 1964 to 1984, St. Helena Parish was represented in the Louisiana State Senate by the Democrat businessman W. E. "Bill" Dykes. In 1983, as a casualty of redistricting, Dykes bowed out of contention in a race which would have pitted him against long-term Senate President Sixty Rayburn of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Rayburn himself lost his senate seat in 1995.

In recent years, St. Helena experienced a series of scandals involving parish officials. In 1997, Sheriff Eugene Holland (October 13, 1954 – December 14, 2010) was found guilty of misuse of government funds and property and using prison inmates for personal labor; he spent time in prison as a result. His replacement, Chaney L. Phillips (born c. 1950), served for only a year as sheriff before he was convicted of fraud and money laundering that he had committed while serving as the parish assessor. He was given an eight-year prison sentence on conviction in 1998 of having placed a political supporter on his assessor office staff; the individual performed no duties. Phillips was assigned to the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado. He was released on May 23, 2003.

Ronald "Gun" Ficklin, former mayor of Greensburg, took over the sheriff's office from Phillips in 1998, but on February 5, 2007, Ficklin himself pleaded guilty on multiple counts involving his role in operating "chop shops" — reselling stolen automobiles and parts — using state prisoners to staff these activities and as a pit crew for his race car. Ficklin died of cancer while in prison (October 21, 2011).

In 2007, Nat Williams was elected as Ficklin's replacement, the first African American to hold the office in that parish.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 409 sqmi, of which 408 sqmi is land and 1.1 sqmi (0.3%) is water. It is located in the northern tier of the Florida Parishes, and within the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

Major highways

 * [[Image:Louisiana 10 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 10
 * [[Image:Louisiana 16 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 16
 * [[Image:Louisiana 37 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 37
 * [[Image:Louisiana 38 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 38
 * [[Image:Louisiana 43 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 43
 * [[Image:Louisiana 441 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 441

Adjacent parishes and counties

 * Amite County, Mississippi – north
 * Tangipahoa Parish – east
 * Livingston Parish – south
 * East Baton Rouge Parish – southwest
 * East Feliciana Parish – west

Town

 * Greensburg (parish seat and largest municipality)

Village

 * Montpelier

Unincorporated communities

 * Chipola
 * Coleman Town
 * Darlington
 * Easleyville
 * Grangeville
 * Hillsdale
 * Kedron
 * Liverpool
 * Pine Grove

Demographics
At the 2010 United States census, there were 11,203 people living in the parish, and at the 2000 U.S. census, there were 10,525 people. The 2019 American Community Survey estimated 10,297 people lived in the parish. The 2020 census tabulated a total of 10,920 residents. In 2019, there were 3,857 households, down from 3,873 at the 2000 census.

The racial and ethnic makeup at the 2019 census-estimates was 52.5% Black and African American, 45.7% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% some other race, and 0.2% multiracial; Hispanics and Latin Americans of any race made up 1.8% of the total population. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup was 53.3% Black and African American, 44.9% White American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.5% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races; 0.9% were Hispanic and Latin American of any race.

Of the 3,857 households at the 2019 census-estimates, 78.7% were aged 18 and older, 5.4% aged 5 and under, and 18.9% aged 65 and older. The median age was 39.4, up from 35 at the 2000 census.

The parish had an employment rate of 45.9%, and the population was spread throughout 5,330 housing units. An estimated 78.9% of the population owned their housing units. The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $100,100, and the median gross rent was $656. The median income for a household in the parish was $43,886; males had a median income of $52,398 versus $31,003 for females. An estimated 24.3% of the parish population lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.

Education
The Elementary and High School in St. Helena Parish are part of the St. Helena Parish School System. The Middle School in St. Helena Parish is part of the Recovery School District of Louisiana. It is in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College.

Brushy Creek Crater
St. Helena Parish contains the only identified meteorite impact crater in the state of Louisiana. This suspected impact crater is a roughly circular depression about 1.2 miles/2 km in diameter. Shocked quartz and intensely fractured quartz have been recovered from fractured and possibly altered sediments comprising its rim. Its age is estimated to be between 11 and 30 ka. It lies about 5.8 miles/9.3 kilometers southwest of Greensburg, in the southwest corner of the parish. Louisiana Highway 37 cuts through the northern edge of this feature.

title: St. Helena Parish, Louisiana


text:
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

St. Bernard Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Bernard; Parroquia de San Bernardo) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area; the parish is located southeast of the city of New Orleans and comprises the Chandeleur Islands and Chandeleur Sound in the east.

St. Bernard was the fastest growing parish in Louisiana from 2010 to 2020, increasing from a population of 35,897 in the 2010 census to 43,764 in 2020. It remains at less than two-thirds of its 2000 population of 67,229, prior to Hurricane Katrina.

History

St. Bernard Parish contains a large community of Spanish descent. Sometimes referred to informally as "Spanish Cajuns", the Isleños are descended from Canary Islanders. This linguistically isolated group eventually developed its own dialect. The Isleños settled along Bayou Terre aux Boeufs, a relict distributary bayou of the Mississippi River. According to Dumont de Montigny, who was in Louisiana from 1719 to 1738, Terre aux Bœufs ( is 'steer' or 'ox' in French, thus Terre aux Bœufs means 'land of oxen') was named in that period, presumably due to the presence of domestic or feral cattle there, and not because of bison ( in French). This settlement was called La Concepción and Nueva Gálvez by Spanish officials, but was also called Tierra de Bueyes (Spanish for 'land of oxen'). Saint Bernard, the patron saint of colonial governor Bernardo de Gálvez, was used in documents to identify the area.

St. Bernard Parish is also home to the earliest Filipino community in the United States, Saint Malo, Louisiana.

The chief historical attraction in St. Bernard Parish is the Chalmette Battlefield (part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve), at which the Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, during the War of 1812. Many street names near the battlefield bear the names of the chief participants, or take a pirate theme, since the pirate Jean Lafitte was considered to be a hero in the battle. A high school, later elementary and now a middle school, was named in honor of Andrew Jackson, who was the commanding officer in charge of defending New Orleans against the British invasion.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln mentioned St. Bernard Parish in the Emancipation Proclamation as an area not in rebellion against the Union during the Civil War.

From 1919 to 1969, the parish was effectively ruled as part of the fiefdom of Leander Perez, a local Democratic official in neighboring Plaquemines Parish.

1868 St. Bernard Parish Massacre
In 1868, St. Bernard Parish was home to one of the deadliest massacres in Louisiana history. The St. Bernard Parish massacre occurred during the Reconstruction era, days before the Presidential election of 1868. As black men gained the right to vote, white Democrats of the parish feared losing their majority. Armed groups mobilized to violently silence these recently emancipated voters to win the election in favor of Democrat Horatio Seymour over Republican Ulysses S. Grant. A Seymour victory meant the end of Reconstruction over the South and the return of Louisiana to home rule. Many freedmen were dragged from their homes and murdered. Others fled to the cane fields to hide from the perpetrators.

The use of violence to suppress Republican votes was successful. Grant only received one vote from St. Bernard Parish, despite having a Republican majority. The reported number of freedmen killed varies from 35 to 135; the number of whites killed was two (one was killed in an attempt to help the victims).

Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927
During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, New Orleans city and state leaders used dynamite to breach a levee at Caernarvon, 13 mi below Canal Street, to save the city of New Orleans from flooding. At the time, it was thought by New Orleans residents that the dynamiting saved the city, but historians now believe that the dynamiting was unnecessary due to major upstream levee breaks that relieved pressure on the New Orleans levees. The levee breach caused flooding and widespread destruction in most of Eastern St. Bernard Parish and parts of Plaquemines Parish. Residents were never adequately compensated for their losses.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

On August 29, 2005, St. Bernard was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The storm damaged virtually every structure in the parish. The eye of Katrina passed over the eastern portion of the parish, pushing a 25 ft storm surge into the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ("MRGO"). This surge destroyed the parish levees. Almost the entire parish was flooded, with most areas left with between 5 and 15 feet (5 - 15 ft) of standing water. The water rose suddenly and violently, during a period which witnesses reported as no more than fifteen minutes. In many areas, houses were smashed or washed off their foundations by a storm surge higher than the roofs.

For more than two months after the storm, much of the parish remained without proper services, including electricity, water, and sewage. Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez declared all of the parish's homes unlivable. Emergency Communities offered one reason for hope in the first year after Hurricane Katrina. In the parking lot of a destroyed off-track betting parlor, EC built the Made with Love Cafe and Grill, a free kitchen and community center serving 1500 meals per day. Made with Love, housed in a geodesic dome, also offered food and clothing distribution, and emotionally supportive volunteers. Upon leaving, EC has offered logistical support for the founding of a new long-term Community Center of St Bernard.

As of late November 2005, it was estimated that the Parish had some 7,000 full-time residents, with some 20,000 commuting to spend the day working, cleaning up, or salvaging in the parish and spending their nights elsewhere. By mid-December some businesses had returned to the Parish, most notably the ExxonMobil plant in Chalmette and the Domino Sugar plant in Arabi, together with a handful of small local stores and businesses.

At the start of January 2006, it was estimated that some 8,000 people were living in the Parish. The H.O.P.E. Project, a collective of volunteer relief workers, founded itself in January 2006 in the empty shell of the Corinne Missionary Baptist Church in Violet, LA, providing the tools for rebuilding and community empowerment. Since June 2006, Camp Hope, located in Arabi, has been housing volunteers' assisting residents of St. Bernard Parish in their recovery from Hurricane Katrina. A grassroots organization, the St. Bernard Project, opened in March 2006. A fully volunteer-run organization funded by the United Way, they help residents get back into their homes by working on the houses, providing tools, support and where possible, funding.

As of October 2006, the population was estimated to be 25,489. After population losses due to Hurricane Katrina, the school was reopened for elementary grades for the 2006–2007 school year.

Hurricane Ida, 2021
With the landfall of Hurricane Ida on August 29, 2021, St. Bernard Parish experienced heavy flooding. Two days before, local officials and weather experts advised citizens to prepare for the storm, warning that storm surge could reach as much as 11 feet. St. Bernard Parish President, Guy McInnis, stated he did not plan to issue a formal evacuation order.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 2158 sqmi, of which 378 sqmi is land and 1781 sqmi (83%) is water. It is the second largest parish in Louisiana by total area and has the largest percentage of area in water of any parish.

The parish of St. Bernard embraces numerous small islands. The parish is classed among the alluvial lands of the state. The ridges comprise the arable lands of the parish and have an area of 37,000 acre. The principal streams are the Bayous Terre aux Boeufs and La Loutre. There are numerous smaller streams which are efficient drainage canals. The dominant tree species is bald cypress, of which the most valuable trees have been cut and processed.

Bodies of water

 * Lake Borgne (north)
 * Mississippi River (southwest)
 * Gulf of Mexico (east)

Major highways

 * [[Image:Louisiana 39 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 39
 * [[Image:Louisiana 46 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 46
 * [[Image:Louisiana 47 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 47

Adjacent counties and parishes

 * Hancock County, Mississippi (north)
 * Harrison County, Mississippi (northeast)
 * Orleans Parish (northwest)
 * Plaquemines Parish (south)
 * St. Tammany Parish (northwest)

National protected areas

 * Breton National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Jean Lafitte National Historical Park (part, in Chalmette)

State park

 * St. Bernard State Park

Communities

There are no incorporated areas in St. Bernard Parish.

Census-designated places

 * Arabi
 * Chalmette (parish seat)
 * Delacroix
 * Meraux
 * Poydras
 * Violet

Unincorporated communities

 * Caernarvon
 * Hopedale (La Chinche)
 * Reggio (Bencheque)
 * Saint Bernard
 * Shell Beach
 * Versailles
 * Verret

Ghost towns

 * Alluvial City
 * Fazendeville
 * Proctorville
 * St. Malo

Demographics
The 2019 American Community Survey determined 46,266 people and 15,005 households lived in the parish. At the 2020 census, there were 43,764 people, down from the prior census estimates yet up from 2010's 35,897 people. The racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 69.4% non-Hispanic white, 23.3% Black and African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 2.0% some other race, and 2.4% from two or more races in 2019; an estimated 10.1% of the population were Hispanic and Latino American of any race in 2019. In 2020, the racial and ethnic composition was 52.93% non-Hispanic white, 25.98% Black or African American, 0.49% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.63% two or more races, and 13.73% Hispanic and Latino American of any race, reflecting the trend of diversification in the U.S.

Of the population, 90.7% spoke English at home, 5.5% Spanish, 1.6% other Indo-European languages, 1.6% Asian and Pacific Islander languages, and 0.7% other languages in 2019.

Among the 15,005 households, the median age was 34.2. Approximately 73.2% of the population were aged 18 and older, 7.4% under 5 years of age, and 11.1% aged 65 and older. The parish population was spread out in 17,035 housing units and there was a home-ownership rate of 67.7% compared to 64.0% nationwide from 2015 to 2019. The median housing value was $151,300, and median gross rent was $951. There was a median household income of $44,661; males had a median income of $48,252 versus $33,302 for females. An estimated 26.2% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line.

Christianity was the parish's largest religion according to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020. Most of the religiously affiliated population are members of the Roman Catholic Church via the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, with 14,439 adherents as of 2020. Historically common throughout the state, Baptists were the second-largest Christian group in the parish; Southern Baptists made up 1,012 members and National Missionary Baptists numbered 1,230. Non/inter-denominational Protestants spread among independent congregationalist, Bible, and United or Uniting churches numbered 900 in 2020 per the Association of Religion Data Archives.

Education
Public schools in the parish are operated by the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools school district.

Due to Hurricane Katrina (2005), the parish's 20 plus public schools were consolidated as one school, the St. Bernard Unified School, or SBUS. St. Bernard Unified School broke up into several different schools in the 2006–2007 school year.

The parish is served by Nunez Community College.

Additionally Delgado Community College states that its Sidney Collier Campus in East New Orleans is in proximity to St. Bernard Parish.

St. Bernard Parish also has only one Catholic school, Our Lady of Prompt Succor of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. There is also one private Montessori school, Classique Academy.

Sports and recreation

 * Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center - Auditorium and ballroom
 * Val Riess Recreation Complex - baseball fields, softball fields and multi-purpose building

Media
While St. Bernard is served mainly by New Orleans media sources, such as a local section of The Times-Picayune, the Parish does have multiple newspapers. The St. Bernard Voice, established in 1890, serves as the official journal of the parish. The St. Bernard News was established in 1967 and publishes weekly.

Formerly published newspapers that served the parish include the St. Bernard Eagle and the St. Bernard Weekly Eagle which published in the 1870s through 1884 in Arabi, Progress which published from Stock Landing (Arabi) in 1888–1889, St. Bernard Protector 1925–1926, and the St. Bernard Guide which published from 1982 to 1986.

Notable people

 * Renato Beluche
 * P. G. T. Beauregard
 * Walter Boasso
 * A. G. Crowe
 * Chris Dier
 * Albert Estopinal
 * Frank Fernández Jr.
 * Ray Garofalo
 * Alcide "Yellow" Núñez
 * Samuel B. Nunez, Jr.
 * Irvan "Puco" Pérez
 * Leander Perez
 * François Marie, Chevalier de Reggio
 * Mitchell Robinson
 * Junior Rodriguez
 * Jean Saint Malo
 * Elmer R. Tapper
 * Jacques Villeré
 * Norris Weese
 * Tommy Wiseau

title: St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana


text:
Sabine Parish, Louisiana

Sabine Parish (French: Paroisse de la Sabine) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,155. The parish seat and largest town is Many.

Sabine was one of five parishes created in as many weeks by the Louisiana State Legislature March 27, 1843. It was created from Natchitoches Parish with the Sabine River as the international boundary between the United States and the Republic of Texas as the western boundary.

The neutral strip
The area, inhabited first by the Adais (Brushwood) Indians of the Caddo Confederacy, was first under Spanish rule, then French, English, Spanish again, and French when Napoleon sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Boundary disputes followed the purchase. The United States claimed the Sabine River as the border and Spain claimed a line farther east in Louisiana along Arroyo Hondo, a tributary of the Red River. The Neutral Ground Treaty was affected in 1806, declaring the area "Sabine Free State," a demilitarized zone, which became the neutral strip for outlaws, desperadoes, criminals and filibusters. The strip extended, roughly, from Sabine River east to the Calcasieu River, Bayous Kisatchie and Don Manuel, Lac Terre Noir and the Arroyo Hondo. Both nations claimed ownership but neither exercised control. English speaking settlers from the older eastern states began moving into the section during the westward expansion years before the boundary was established. They settled on Spanish grants known as Rio Hondo claims. One of the earliest settlers was Thomas Arthur, who filed a claim for 640 acre on Negreet Creek.

In 1819, Spain abandoned all claims to land east of the Sabine River and the United States moved in to establish law and order. Great caravans of home seekers marched over the old highways and many of them settled in present-day Sabine Parish. In the years that followed, small settlements began to make their appearances throughout the parish. Possibly the earliest of these was Negreet, founded in 1822, in the southern part of the parish where Christopher Anthony located on Bayou Negreet. Other settlements were Toro, in the extreme south, 1827, and Noble, in the north portion, dating back to the 1830s. Fort Jesup was founded in 1822 by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor who later became the 12th President of the United States. Taylor's troops managed to establish law and order in this Neutral Ground. Fort Jesup has served as a vital part of Sabine Parish over the years and can be enjoyed by visitors today. It was an important frontier post until the annexation of Texas in 1845 and the focal point of the American expansionist movement.

The two main highways of the southwest traversed the Neutral Strip and ran about 4 mi apart in the vicinity of Many. The San Antonio Trace and El Camino Real extended from Natchitoches Parish westward directly across Sabine Parish into East Texas. Since El Camino Real was older and better known, a number of farmers and villages settled along it. Philip Nolan's Trace crossed the Red River above Alexandria and ran through the Kisatchie country to join El Camino Real near the Sabine River crossing.

Establishment of Sabine Parish
The parish was created at a time when America had entered upon a new era of progress. A government survey in 1831 laid out the Sabine area in townships and sections and this, together with the clearing of the Red River "raft" by Henry Miller Shreve, in 1838, opened the Red River to steamboat traffic and gave impetus to the colonization of the area. Steamboats began running on the Sabine River in 1830, and by 1850 heavy traffic was carried on the Sabine. Popular landing points were Columbus, East Pendleton and Carter's Ferry. About 3 mi south of Pendleton was the large and flourishing river port of Sabine Town. The influx of settlers reached its zenith just prior to the American Civil War.

Sabine Parish was one of the five parishes created in as many weeks by the state legislature in 1843 during the administration of Governor Alexander Mouton. The parish was created from Natchitoches Parish on March 7, 1843. Since Texas was an independent republic, the Sabine River constituted an international border.

Less than one month later the parish was given several additional townships when legislators defined lines of its northern neighbor, DeSoto Parish. One half township from Natchitoches, originally intended to be part of Sabine was added in 1854. In 1871, a considerable portion of the southern half of Sabine Parish was removed with the establishment of Vernon Parish. Since then the parish boundaries have remained unchanged.

Act 46 creating the parish specified that the seat of government should be named Many in honor of Col. John B. Many, commandant at Fort Jesup, then the most important settlement in the parish. Many was on the Natchitoches San Antonio Road, or El Camino Real, which carried traffic into Texas.

On May 17, 1843, Judge W. R. D. Speight, who was parish judge, I. W. Eason, Samuel S. Eason and G. W. Thompson purchased and gave to Sabine Parish 40 acre of land. Immediately some thirty citizens petitioned the police jury to lay out the town on the land, sell lots and make arrangements for the erection of public buildings. The police jury planned a courthouse and jail, raising the construction money with the sale of the lots.

The first house was erected by John Baldwin, who operated a store and used his home as a tavern. He was also the first postmaster of Many. The first settler was Williams Mains, who came to the area in 1830. The first cotton gin was built in the early 1850s, and the first census showed Sabine had a population of 3,347 whites and 1,168 slaves.

Battle of Pleasant Hill
Sabine Parish was the scene of the last major engagement in Louisiana, which was fought April 9, 1864, at old Pleasant Hill and along the Sabine-DeSoto Parish line. The battle took place the following day after the Confederate victory at Mansfield. The action forced the withdrawal of Federal troops along the Shreveport-Natchitoches road, which cut across the northeast section of the parish.

These clashes were regarded as vitally important. Although they did not affect the ultimate outcome of the war, they frustrated the attempt by Union forces to capture Shreveport and split Texas from the rest of the Confederacy.

Railroads
Following the war the steamboat gave way to the railroad. The Texas-Pacific was completed in 1882 between Shreveport and New Orleans realizing how important a railroad was to a town, Pleasant Hill moved itself out of DeSoto Parish to the railroad which was 2 mi away in Sabine Parish. The construction of the Kansas City Southern Railroad through the parish in 1896 led to the founding of the towns of Converse, Zwolle, Fisher and Florien.

The area was mainly agriculture until the railroads brought lumbermen, who set up sawmills to convert the trees that blanketed the state into lumber to satisfy a worldwide demand for longleaf virgin pine. Three decades later the forest acres were barren and a great many sawmills, including Gandy and Peason moved out. Reforestation was innovated in the early 1940s and pulp and paper mills bought the thinnings. The payoff was the development of Southern Pine plywood and the opening of Vancouver Plywood, Inc., the first plywood mill in the state, in Florien.

Reforestation lagniappe was the creation of Hodges Gardens in the 1950s, which opened a brand new industry. That was tourism, which was augmented with the completion of Toledo Bend Reservoir in 1968.

WWII and Louisiana Maneuvers
The largest military maneuvers ever held in the United States were staged in and around Sabine Parish in May 1940. These army maneuvers in the Sabine River area brought the possibility of war very close as 40,000 officers and men of the Blue Army defended the Sabine River from 30,000 invading Red troops. Soldiers from thirty-three states took part in the games, which covered 10000 sqmi of cut over pinelands, hills, rivers, and valleys between Alexandria and Nacogdoches, Texas.

Commanders and their staffs passing through the area comprised a virtual "who's who" in the military. These included Lieutenant General Ben Lear, Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, Brigadier General George S. Patton, Jr., and Major J. L. Benedict.

Following the discovery of oil in 1928, crude oil and natural gas joined timber as leading natural resources until about 1934 when oil experienced a natural decline. Oil was not a major economic factor again until new reserves were brought in near Many in the 1950s. Its 1008 sqmi contains some of the finest timber in the world. In addition, Sabine Parish is rich in other natural resources.

Recent events
In January 2014, the ACLU filed suit against the Sabine Parish School Board, Superintendent Sara Ebarb, Principal Gene Wright and teacher Rita Roark of Negreet High School, alleging officials at one of its schools harassed a sixth-grader because of his Buddhist faith and that the district routinely pushes Christian beliefs upon their students. The court swiftly ruled against the school board.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1012 sqmi, of which 867 sqmi is land and 145 sqmi (14%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 171.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 171
 * [[Image:Louisiana 6 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 6
 * [[Image:Louisiana 118 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 118
 * [[Image:Louisiana 174 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 174

Adjacent parishes and counties

 * De Soto Parish (north)
 * Natchitoches Parish (east)
 * Vernon Parish (southeast)
 * Newton County, Texas (southwest)
 * Sabine County, Texas (west)
 * Shelby County, Texas (northwest)

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,155 people, 9,158 households, and 6,057 families residing in the parish.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,233 people living in the parish. 70.8% were White, 16.6% Black or African American, 8.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% of some other race and 3.4% of two or more races. 3.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,459 people, 9,221 households, and 6,593 families living in the parish. The population density was 27 /mi2. There were 13,671 housing units at an average density of 16 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 72.67% White, 16.87% Black or African American, 7.79% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 2.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,221 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $26,655, and the median income for a family was $32,470. Males had a median income of $29,726 versus $18,514 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,199. About 16.30% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.00% of those under age 18 and 17.50% of those age 65 or over.

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

It is in the service area of Bossier Parish Community College.

Towns

 * Many (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Zwolle

Villages

 * Converse
 * Fisher
 * Florien
 * Noble
 * Pleasant Hill

Census-designated places

 * Belmont
 * Fort Jesup

Other communities

 * Ebarb
 * Negreet

Hospital

 * Sabine Medical Center

Prison
Parish

Notable people

 * H. M. Fowler - Former state representative from Coushatta who spent forty-five days in the Sabine Parish jail in a plea bargain for circumventing state bid laws.
 * John Horton Slaughter, known as Texas John Slaughter, legendary western lawman and Texas Ranger.

Historic places in Sabine Parish

 * National Register of Historic Places listings in Sabine Parish, Louisiana

title: Sabine Parish, Louisiana


text:
Richland Parish, Louisiana

Richland Parish is a parish located in the North Louisiana Delta Country in the U.S. state of Louisiana, known for its fertile, flat farmland, cane brakes, and open spaces. The parish had a population of 20,043 at the 2020 United States census. The name Richland was chosen due to the rich production from farming. The parish seat and largest community is Rayville.

History
The parish was officially created on September 29, 1868. Rayville, Louisiana, the parish seat, was named for John Ray, a politician from Monroe with large land holdings in present-day Rayville.

Richland Parish is home to the first public parish library in the State of Louisiana, the Rhymes Memorial Library. The library was built in 1925 by the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. R.R. Rhymes donated the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes.

Geography
Bayou Macon flows through the western areas of Richland. Other tributaries in the parish include Crew Lake, and the Lafourche Diversion Canal are located in the western portion of the parish. Boeuf River flows from the northern end to the southern end in the center of the parish.

Adjacent parishes

 * Morehouse Parish (north)
 * West Carroll Parish (northeast)
 * Madison Parish (east)
 * Franklin Parish (south)
 * Caldwell Parish (southwest)
 * Ouachita Parish (west)

Parks and wildlife management areas

 * Poverty Point Reservoir State Park
 * Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area

Towns

 * Delhi
 * Rayville (parish seat and largest municipality)

Village

 * Mangham

Census-designated place

 * Start

Unincorporated communities

 * Alto
 * Archibald
 * Bardel
 * Bee Bayou
 * Buckner
 * Charlieville
 * Crew Lake
 * Dehlco
 * Dunn
 * Four Forks
 * Gilleyville
 * Girard
 * Holly Ridge
 * Jonesburg
 * Mitchiner
 * New Light
 * Rhymes
 * Sacksonia
 * Warden

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,043 people, 7,459 households, and 4,972 families residing in the parish.

Public schools

 * Delhi Elementary
 * Delhi Junior High
 * Delhi High School
 * Holly Ridge Elementary
 * Mangham Elementary
 * Mangham Junior High
 * Mangham High School
 * Rayville Elementary
 * Rayville Junior High
 * Rayville, High School
 * Start Elementary

Private schools

 * Riverfield Academy, K–12

Charter schools

 * Delhi Charter, K–12

Community and technical colleges

 * Louisiana Delta Community College, (with campus locations in neighboring Tallulah, Winnsboro, Lake Providence, Bastrop, Monroe, and West Monroe.)

Regional universities

 * University of Louisiana at Monroe
 * Louisiana Tech University, (Ruston)
 * Grambling State University, (Grambling)

Notable people

 * Julia Letlow, from Start, elected Member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives.
 * Luke Letlow, from Start, elected to the United States House of Representatives, but died of a heart attack caused by COVID-19 before he could be seated.
 * Ralph Abraham, from Alto, elected Member of Congress in United States House of Representatives.
 * Harry W. Addison was a Southern author and humorist who resided in Rayville from 1945 to 1957.
 * Jamar Adcock, a politician and banker in Monroe, born in Richland Parish
 * Terry Doughty, is a federally appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
 * Elvin Hayes, Hall of Fame basketball player, born in Rayville
 * Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
 * Ralph E. King, Winnsboro physician who represented Richland Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 to 1952 and again from 1956 to 1960
 * William L. Kirk, of Rayville was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
 * Ernie Ladd, a football player/professional wrestler, born in Rayville
 * Moses J. Liddell was appointed by President Grover Cleveland as a judge for the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.
 * Wiley Person Mangham, an American publisher and editor. He is the namesake for t
 * Tim McGraw, Country musician, born in Delhi, and raised in Start
 * Robert Max Ross, was a Republican politician and activist who qualified to run for governor, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, for the purpose of advancing the two-party system in Louisiana, at a time it did not exist.
 * Francis C. Thompson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1975 until 2008; since in the Louisiana State Senate

title: Richland Parish, Louisiana