text:
Red River Parish, Louisiana

Red River Parish (Paroisse de la Rivière-Rouge) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,620, making it the fourth-least populous parish in Louisiana. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Coushatta. It is one of the newer parishes, created in 1871 by the state legislature from parts of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Desoto and Natchitoches Parishes under Reconstruction. The plantation economy was based on cotton cultivation, highly dependent on enslaved African labor before the American Civil War.

In 1880, the parish had a population with more than twice as many blacks as whites. They were essentially disenfranchised in 1898 under a new state constitution after the white Democrats regained power in the state in the late 1870s through paramilitary intimidation at the polls. Most of the former slaves worked as sharecroppers and laborers, cultivating cotton. Because of the mechanization of agriculture, many blacks left the parish during the mid-20th century Great Migration to seek better job opportunities elsewhere. By 2000, the parish population was 9,622, with a white majority, but Coushatta itself was still two-thirds black.

History
As in many other rural areas, Red River Parish and the Red River Valley were areas of white vigilante and paramilitary violence after the Civil War, as insurgents tried to regain power after the South's defeat. The state legislature during Reconstruction created the parish in 1871, one of a number established to develop Republican Party strength.

Marshall H. Twitchell was a Union veteran who moved to the parish from Vermont and married a local woman. With the help of her family, he became a successful cotton planter and local leader. He was elected in 1870 as a Republican to the state legislature and filled four local offices with his brother and three brothers-in-law, the latter native to the parish. He won support from freedmen by appointing some to local offices and promoting education.

During the 1870s, there were regular outbreaks of violence in Louisiana, despite the presence of two thousand federal troops stationed there. The extended agricultural depression and poor economy of the late 19th century aggravated social tensions, as both freedmen and whites struggled to survive and to manage new labor arrangements.

The disputed gubernatorial election of 1872 increased political tensions in the state, especially as the outcome was unsettled for months. Both the Democratic Party and Republican candidates certified their own slates of local officers. Established in May 1874 from white militias, the White League was formed first in the Red River Valley in nearby Grant Parish. The organization grew increasingly well-organized in rural areas like Red River Parish. Soon White League chapters rose across the state. Operating openly, the White League used violence against officeholders, running some out of town and killing others, and suppressed election turnout among black and white Republicans.

In August 1874 the White League forced six white Republicans from office in Coushatta and ordered them to leave the state. Members assassinated them before they left Louisiana. Four of the men murdered were the brother and three brothers-in-law of state Senator Marshall Twitchell. The White League also killed five to twenty freedmen who had accompanied the Twitchell relatives and were witnesses to the vigilante acts.

Historians came to call the events the Coushatta Massacre. The murders contributed to Republican Governor William Pitt Kellogg's request to President Grant for more Federal troops to help control the state. Ordinary Southerners wrote to President Grant at the White House describing the terrible conditions of violence and fear they lived under during these times.

With increased voter fraud, paramilitary violence against Republican blacks and whites, and intimidation at the polls preventing people from voting, white Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1876. The population of the parish in 1880 was 8,573, of whom 2,506 were whites and 6,007 were blacks. In 1898 the state achieved disfranchisement of most blacks and many poor whites through a new constitution that created numerous barriers to voter registration.

20th century
To seek better opportunities and escape the oppression of segregation, underfunded education, and disfranchisement, thousands of African Americans left Red River and other rural parishes in the Great Migration north and west. As may be seen in the census table below, most left from 1940 to 1970, when the parish had steep population decreases. Regional agricultural problems contributed to outmigration, especially after increasing mechanization in the 1930s reduced the need for laborers. At this time many African Americans from Louisiana went to California, where the defense industry associated with World War II was growing and workers were needed.

Additional outmigration from the parish occurred as late as the 1980s, when African Americans from Louisiana migrated within the South to jobs in developing metropolitan areas of New South states.

Red River Parish has been a Democratic Party stronghold since the party reestablished dominance in 1876. As in other southern states, recent decades have brought a realignment in politics in Presidential elections, with the conservative white majority of the parish voting for Republican U.S. President George W. Bush in his 2004 reelection. The majority of the parish voters, however, has continued to support Democratic candidates at the state and local level.

Red River was one of only three parishes that did not vote for the Republican gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal in the October 20, 2007, jungle primary. The others were nearby Bienville and St. Bernard, located southeast of New Orleans.

Despite its Democratic heritage, Red River Parish is represented in the Louisiana State Senate by a Republican, Gerald Long, the only member of the Long dynasty not to have been elected to office as a Democrat. Long defeated the Democratic candidate, Thomas Taylor Townsend, in the 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary. Both candidates came from Natchitoches.

Louisiana was the last state to issue same-sex marriage licenses in 2015 after a landmark Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex marriage in all 50 U.S. states. Red River Parish was the final holdout of Louisiana's 64 parishes when it continued to deny marriage licenses after 63 other parishes began doing so in late June 2015. Parish Clerk of Court Stuart Shaw was the only official besides Governor Bobby Jindal to continue to defy the Supreme Court's ruling even after the Clerks of Court Association reversed their "wait and see" position.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 402 sqmi, of which 389 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (3.3%) is water.

U.S.

 * [[Image:US 71.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 84.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 84
 * [[Image:US 371.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 371
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 174 (2008).svg|20px]] Louisiana Highway 174
 * Louisiana 480 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 480

Adjacent parishes

 * Caddo Parish (northwest)
 * Bossier Parish (north)
 * Bienville Parish (northeast)
 * Natchitoches Parish (southeast)
 * De Soto Parish (west)

National protected area

 * Red River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Red River Parish has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Red River Parish was 108 F on August 3, 1998, September 4, 2000, and August 19, 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was 3 F on December 23, 1989.

Town

 * Coushatta (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

 * Edgefield (smallest municipality)
 * Hall Summit
 * Martin

Unincorporated communities

 * Crichton
 * East Point
 * Fairview Alpha
 * Grand Bayou
 * Hanna
 * Harmon
 * Lake End

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,622 people, 3,414 households, and 2,526 families living in the parish. The population density was 25 PD/sqmi. There were 3,988 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 57.87% White, 40.91% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races; 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the 2020 United States census, there were 7,620 people, 3,372 households, and 1,984 families residing in the parish, and its racial makeup was predominantly non-Hispanic white and Black or African American.

In 2000, were 3,414 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.50% were married couples living together, 18.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. Individuals made up 23.10% of all households, and 11.50% 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 30.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. As of 2000, the median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.40 males.

According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the parish was $23,153, and the median income for a family was $27,870. Males had a median income of $27,132 versus $17,760 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,119. About 26.00% of families and 29.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.10% of those under age 18 and 18.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Public schools in Red River Parish are operated by the Red River Parish School District.

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

Government
Red River Parish is governed by the Red River Parish Police Jury, which is divided into seven districts. District 1 is represented by William Brown, District 2 by Brandon Hillman, District 3 by Shawn Beard, District 4 by Jessie Davis, District 5 by John W. Moore, District 6 by Ben Taylor, and District 7 by Tray Murray. Red River Parish is represented in the Louisiana State Senate by Republican Louie Bernard of District 31. In the Louisiana House of Representatives, the parish is represented by Republican Michael Firment of District 22 and Democrat Kenny R. Cox of District 23. In the United States House of Representatives, it is represented by Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana's 4th congressional district.

National Guard
Coushatta is the home of C Troop 2-108th Cavalry Squadron, a unit dating back to the Confederate Army during the Civil War under the nickname "the Wildbunch". This unit was formerly known as A Company 1-156 Armor Battalion and served recently in Iraq during 2004-5 under the 256th Infantry Brigade. This unit returned from its second deployment to Iraq in 2010.

Hospital
Christus Coushatta Health Care Center is the only hospital in Red River Parish.

Notable people

 * Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698-1754), early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of Fort Saint Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches and Le Poste des Cadodaquious, the first European settlement in the area.
 * Andrew R. Johnson, former state senator (1916–1924) and mayor of Homer in Claiborne Parish, is interred in Red River Parish at Springville Cemetery in Coushatta.
 * Lloyd F. Wheat, attorney and member of the Louisiana State Senate from Red River and Natchitoches parishes from 1948 to 1952

title: Red River Parish, Louisiana


text:
Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Rapides Parish (Paroisse des Rapides) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 130,023. The parish seat is Alexandria, which developed along the Red River of the South. Rapides is the French word for "rapids". The parish was created in 1807 after the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase.

Rapides Parish is included in the Alexandria metropolitan area, Louisiana.

History
In 1763, the land that is now Rapides Parish became the new home of the Apalachee tribe, who were settled there with the permission of Governor Kerlerec. Some Native Americans had come after fleeing the British and their Creek Indian allies from what is now Leon County, Florida. Many of their descendants remain in Natchitoches Parish.

The first French settler was Vincent Porei, who was granted a small tract of land in July 1764 by the Civil and Military Commander of Natchitoches. Nicolas Etienne Marafret Layssard arrived in December 1766, with the permission of Aubrey and Foucault, to establish a "tar works" in the pineries of Rapides, for naval stores. He was later appointed the first Civil Commander of Rapides Parish. During the 1760s, the area was still a dependency of Natchitoches Parish

Parts of Catahoula Parish, Grant Parish, Vernon Parish, and Winn Parish were initially part of Rapides Parish territory, but they eventually separated and obtained land from neighboring parishes.

21st-century politics
Since the late 20th century, conservative whites have mostly shifted from the Democratic Party, long in control in Louisiana and other Deep South states, to the Republican Party. The population of Alexandria is heavily Democratic, but voters in the white-majority Rapides Parish frequently favor Republican candidates in competitive presidential elections. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney carried the parish with 37,193 votes (64.1 percent), compared to Democrat U.S. President Barack Obama's 20,045 (34.6 percent) tabulation. The 2008 returns in Rapides Parish were similar to those of 2012. U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona won the parish with 36,611 votes (63.6 percent) to President Obama's 20,127 (35 percent).

With 58.8 percent and 63.8 percent, respectively, George W. Bush carried Rapides Parish in both 2000 and 2004 over the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore and John F. Kerry. The last Democrat to win at the presidential level in Rapides Parish was Bill Clinton, who in 1996 received 23,004 votes (46.1 percent) to Robert J. Dole's 21,548 (43.2 percent). Ross Perot, founder of his Reform Party, received 4,670 ballots (9.4 percent).

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1362 sqmi, of which 1318 sqmi is land and 44 sqmi (3.2%) is water. It is the largest parish in Louisiana by land area.

Water features

 * Catahoula Lake
 * Red River

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-49.svg|25px]] Interstate 49
 * [[Image:US 71.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 71
 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:US 167.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 167
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 28 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 28

Adjacent parishes

 * Grant Parish (north)
 * La Salle Parish (northeast)
 * Avoyelles Parish (east)
 * Evangeline Parish (southeast)
 * Allen Parish (southwest)
 * Vernon Parish (west)
 * Natchitoches Parish (northwest)

National protected area

 * Kisatchie National Forest (part)

Military installations

 * Esler Airfield (LA Army National Guard)
 * Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville (LA Army National Guard)
 * Camp Claiborne (defunct)
 * Camp Livingston (defunct)
 * England Air Force Base (defunct)

National Guard

 * 225th Engineer Brigade

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 130,023 people, 48,975 households, and 32,667 families residing in the parish. In 2010, there were 131,613 people living in the parish. 63.3% were White, 25.0% Black or African American, 1.83% Asian, 2.15% Native American, 1.56% of some other race and 1.88% of two or more races. 6.85% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

In 2000, there were 126,337 people, 47,120 households, and 33,125 families living in the parish. The population density was 93 PD/sqmi. There were 52,038 housing units at an average density of 39 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 66.51% White, 30.43% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 47,120 households, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.70% were married couples living together, 16.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $29,856, and the median income for a family was $36,671. Males had a median income of $29,775 versus $20,483 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $16,088. About 16.40% of families and 20.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections formerly operated the J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center on property adjacent to Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville in Pineville in Rapides Parish. The facility closed in July 2012.

Rapides Parish is solidly Republican in presidential elections. In 2016, Hillary Clinton suffered the worst defeat for a Democratic candidate in the county since Walter Mondale in 1984, Although her husband, Bill, won the parish in 1996 during his reelection bid, this stands as the last time Rapides Parish voted for a Democratic candidate.

Education
Rapides Parish School Board operates public schools.

By 1993 the district had established a secondary school for students with behavior issues, called Redirection Academy. That year, the U.S. federal court system stopped the district from establishing a magnet school for academically advanced students.

Cities

 * Alexandria (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * Pineville

Towns

 * Ball
 * Boyce
 * Cheneyville
 * Glenmora
 * Lecompte
 * Woodworth

Villages

 * Forest Hill
 * McNary

Census-designated Place

 * Deville

Unincorporated communities

 * Buckeye
 * Clifton
 * Echo
 * Elmer
 * Flatwoods
 * Gardner
 * Hineston
 * Kolin
 * Lena
 * Libuse
 * Melder
 * Otis
 * Sieper
 * Tioga

Geology

 * Snead, J., P. V. Heinrich, and R. P. McCulloh, 2002, Ville Platte 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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

title: Rapides Parish, Louisiana


text:
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish ( or ; Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads.

Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Louisiana was located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads.

History
Pointe Coupee is the oldest settlement on the lower Mississippi, having been made by some wandering Canadian trappers as early as 1708. Bienville established this place as a military post, before the commencement of New Orleans. The fort was moved in 1722 to an area near the present St. Francisville Ferry landing.

After several floods, Governor Luis de Unzaga in 1772 moved the European settlement to a new post, the so-called Post Unzaga. Recently, historians Cazorla and Polo, from the Louis de Unzaga Historical Society research team, using satellite remote sensing techniques and comparative plans from the General Archive of the Indies, have managed to locate the position of the Unzaga post, which included, along with it, a parish. After the slave rebellion of 1795 this settlement was left uninhabited. Pointe Coupee Parish (originally and recently, informally pronounced pwahnt coo-pay) was organized by European Americans in 1805 as part of the Territory of Orleans (statehood for Louisiana followed in 1812). It was originally called Pointe Coupee County, and was one of the original 12 counties of the Territory of Orleans. It was renamed as Pointe Coupee Parish in 1816. The original Pointe Coupee Parish included parts of present-day Iberville and West Baton Rouge Parishes. There were minor boundary adjustments with neighboring parishes up through 1852, when its boundaries stabilized.

In 2008, Pointe Coupee was one of the communities that suffered the most damage by Hurricane Gustav.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 591 sqmi, of which 557 sqmi is land and 33 sqmi (5.6%) is water. The land consists mainly of prairies and backswamp.

Major highways
Pointe Coupee Parish has 498.98 miles of highways within its borders.

 * [[Image:US 190.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 190
 * [[Image:Louisiana 1 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 1
 * [[Image:Louisiana 10 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 10
 * [[Image:Louisiana 15 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 15
 * [[Image:Louisiana 77 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 77
 * [[Image:Louisiana 78 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 78
 * [[Image:Louisiana 81 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 81
 * [[Image:Louisiana 411 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 411
 * [[Image:Louisiana 413 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 413
 * [[Image:Louisiana 414 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 414
 * [[Image:Louisiana 415 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 415
 * [[Image:Louisiana 416 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 416
 * [[Image:Louisiana 417 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 417
 * [[Image:Louisiana 418 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 418
 * [[Image:Louisiana 419 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 419
 * [[Image:Louisiana 420 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 420
 * [[Image:Louisiana 970 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 970
 * [[Image:Louisiana 971 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 971
 * [[Image:Louisiana 972 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 972
 * [[Image:Louisiana 973 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 973
 * [[Image:Louisiana 975 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 975
 * [[Image:Louisiana 976 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 976
 * [[Image:Louisiana 977 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 977
 * [[Image:Louisiana 978 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 978
 * [[Image:Louisiana 979 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 979
 * [[Image:Louisiana 981 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 981
 * [[Image:Louisiana 982 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 982
 * [[Image:Louisiana 983 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 983
 * [[Image:Louisiana 984 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 984
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3050 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3050
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3091 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3091
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3131 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3131
 * [[Image:Louisiana 3190 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 3190

Major waterways

 * Atchafalaya River
 * False River
 * Mississippi River
 * Old River
 * Raccourci Old River (not a river but an oxbow lake)
 * Red River

Adjacent parishes

 * Concordia Parish (north)
 * West Feliciana Parish (northeast)
 * West Baton Rouge Parish (east)
 * Iberville Parish (south)
 * St. Martin Parish (southwest)
 * St. Landry Parish (west)
 * Avoyelles Parish (northwest)

National protected area

 * Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

City

 * New Roads (parish seat)

Towns

 * Fordoche
 * Livonia

Village

 * Morganza

Census-designated place

 * Ventress

Unincorporated communities

 * Aline
 * Allon
 * Alma
 * Anchor
 * Argyle
 * Bayou Latenache
 * Batchelor
 * Beaud
 * Blanks
 * Brooks
 * Brownview
 * Chenal
 * Columbo
 * Coon
 * Dupont
 * False River
 * East Krotz Springs
 * Elliot City
 * Frisco
 * Frogmore
 * Glynn
 * Hermitage
 * Ingleside
 * Innis
 * Island
 * Jacoby
 * Jarreau
 * Keller
 * Knapp
 * LaBarre
 * Lacour
 * Lakeland
 * Leavel
 * Legonier
 * Lettsworth
 * Lottie
 * Major
 * McCrea
 * McKneeley
 * Mix
 * Morrison
 * New California
 * New Texas
 * Oscar
 * Parlange
 * Patin
 * Point Coupee
 * Quinton
 * Ravenswood
 * Red Cross
 * Red River Landing
 * Rougon
 * Seibert
 * Schwabs
 * Sherburne
 * Shexnayder
 * Smithland
 * Sparks
 * St. Dizier
 * Torbert
 * Torras
 * Valverda
 * Waterloo
 * Wickliffe
 * Williamsport

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,763 people, 8,397 households, and 6,171 families residing in the parish. The population density was 41 PD/sqmi. There were 10,297 housing units at an average density of 18 /mi2. The racial makeup of the parish was 68.91% White, 29.61% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 93.61% of the population spoke only English at home, while 4.89% spoke French or Cajun French, 0.96% spoke Spanish, and 0.73% spoke Louisiana Creole French.

By the publication of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,758 people, 8,960 households, and 5,625 families residing in the parish, reflecting a slight population decline. Among the population in 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 58.99% non-Hispanic white, 34.79% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.74% other or multiracial, and 3.01% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the parish was $30,618, and the median income for a family was $36,625. Males had a median income of $35,022 versus $20,759 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,387, ranking 23rd out of 64 parishes. About 18.70% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.20% of those under age 18 and 23.90% are the age of 65 and older.

Religiously, Christianity is the dominant religion being part of the Bible Belt. The largest denomination by membership as of 2020 has been the Catholic Church (according to the Association of Religion Data Archives). Southern Baptists were the second largest denomination by membership.

Economy
Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America has a large plant near Batchelor. Another large employer is NRG / Big Cajun 1 & 2 power plants near New Roads. The parish's economy is heavily reliant upon agriculture, with sugar cane being one of the main cash crops.

Primary and secondary schools
The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board serves the parish. As of 2014 the sole secondary school operated by the parish school board is Livonia High School, serving grades 7 through 12. Pointe Coupee Central High School was closed down in 2014. Current public schools include Stem Magnet Academy, Valverda Elementary, Rougon, Rosenwald, and Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary.

 * Private
 * Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee / Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge)
 * False River Academy

Post Secondary
The parish is in the service area of South Louisiana Community College.

Additionally, Pointe Coupee Parish is home to one of the satellite campuses of Baton Rouge Community College. This campus, located in New Roads, offers several technical, academic, and other courses.

National Guard
A Co of the 769th BEB (Brigade Engineer Battalion) is an Engineer Company (Combat) that resides in New Roads, Louisiana. This unit is part of the 256TH IBCT and deployed to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010.

Law enforcement
The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office is the chief law enforcement agency in Pointe Coupee Parish. The sheriff's office is responsible for routine law enforcement patrols in the parish. There are several divisions besides the road patrol, including the parish prison, a water patrol, a mounted horse patrol, an aviation unit, a criminal investigations division, and bailiffs for the courthouse. This department employs over 100 full-time deputies, as well as several part-time deputies. The department's main office is located in the parish courthouse in New Roads.

Notable residents

 * Lindy Boggs (1916-2013) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
 * Brian J. Costello - native and lifelong resident of New Roads, author of more than two dozen books
 * Emmitt Douglas (1926–1981) – president of the Louisiana NAACP from 1966 to 1981, resided in New Roads from 1949 to 1981
 * Ernest Gaines – author
 * Clark Gaudin - former state representative from East Baton Rouge Parish
 * Buddy Guy - blues guitarist and singer
 * Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, historian, did extensive research and writing about slavery in Louisiana
 * Russel L. Honoré - retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
 * J. Thomas Jewell - state representative 1936–1968; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1960-1964
 * J. E. Jumonville, Jr. - state senator from District 17, 1976–1992, horse breeder
 * J. E. Jumonville, Sr. - state senator, 1968–1976, natural gas developer
 * Catherine D. Kimball - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court; former judge of the Louisiana 18th Judicial District Court, 1983-1993
 * Major General John Archer Lejeune, career military officer and Commandant of the US Marine Corps
 * Norma McCorvey - anonymous plaintiff in 1973 U.S. Supreme Court landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade.
 * deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964), born in New Roads, elected four times as mayor of New Orleans, ran unsuccessfully three times for governor of Louisiana, later US ambassador to the Organization of American States.
 * Jacob Haight Morrison, (1905-1974), New Roads native, journalist, politician and preservationist to help protect the French Quarter of New Orleans
 * Charles Parlange - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court
 * Julien Poydras – territorial U.S. Representative for Louisiana; 1st State Senate President, philanthropist
 * Patrick Queen- Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens, Former LSU player
 * William Priestley (1771-1838), son of the famous English chemist and philosopher Joseph Priestley
 * James Ryder Randall - poet, teacher at Poydras Academy, 1856–1860, wrote the state song of Maryland, "Maryland, My Maryland" while living in Pointe Coupée Parish
 * Nauman Scott - judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, based in Alexandria
 * Major Thibaut - state representative for District 18 since 2008; First Parish President
 * H. C. Tounoir - former state representative
 * Chris Williams - offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams
 * Clyde Kimball - former State Representative and former deputy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Politics
Prior to 2008, Pointe Coupee Parish was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, only failing to back the party's nominees four times between 1912 and 2004 even as the South began trending more Republican in presidential elections. Since 2008 it has consistently supported Republican nominees.

title: Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana


text:
Talk:Die Hard

Christmas movie?
Oh..... we should definitely reopen up this can of worms. NickCT (talk) 16:30, 22 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I actually think having the Christmas movie is-it-or-isn't-it debate might warrant pulling into its own section with a sub-header within the cultural impact section, and yes I'm commenting this a year later :) SportsGuy17 (talk) 21:07, 30 November 2021 (UTC)
 * WP:UNDUE for a once-a-year joke that a minority espouse. Darkwarriorblake / SEXY ACTION TALK PAGE! 23:21, 30 November 2021 (UTC)
 * I think this n-gram of total views since 2018 answers the question of whether readers think it's a Christmas movie. Yippie ho ho ho... Randy Kryn (talk) 04:48, 31 December 2022 (UTC)

Thematic analysis
To me this kinda reads like a film-studies essay, and a rather subjective (and at times down-right tenuous) one at that? At the least it feels like it should be written more like the critical response section, where the views are clearly attributed to published works - I don't mean just citing sources, but outright stating e.g "Richard Brody, writing for The New Yorker, portrays Die Hard as a story of redemption through violence." etc in the same way Roger Ebert's opinions are clearly stated as his own. The section seems like an original-research opinion piece, backed up with the same few sources referenced several times throughout. It may be interesting, but it doesn't seem objective. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.125.229.155 (talk) 21:09, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

 * I agree. This section reeks of ideology rather than objectivity. Obviously, it's difficult to quantify what objectivity really is when examining a film, but I feel this section will fall short.
 * But at least the Thematic Analysis is all one section relegated to the lower end of the article where it rightly belongs, if it belongs at all. However, in my opinion the opinion the summary should not include the line: "Retrospective commentators also identified and analyzed its thematic concerns, including vengeance, masculinity, gender roles, and American anxieties over foreign influences". I would be tempted to place a after it but won't for fear of vandalism. Or, that sentence should be removed from the opening summary and instead be included with the rest of the Thematic Analsis. 89.100.13.116 (talk) 12:42, 25 December 2022 (UTC)

Semicolons
I count 84(!) uses of the semicolon. This seems rather excessive to me; many of these can probably be full stops. I cannot recall reading another piece of prose with such of a high concentration. Sizeofint (talk) 07:45, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

Song?!
This article boasts that some “copy editor” has worked on it. Well, not one who would get hired anywhere as any kind of copy editor. The article is full of tortured prose that needs cleaning up.

Just one example. The Music section uses the word “song” to apply to themes in Beethoven’s compositions, which is hilarious to anyone familiar with how to write about classical music. This mistake may derive from an over-reliance on the language of modern commercial music software: Spotify, for example, mislabels everything from a Chopin mazurka to a movement in a Charles Ives symphony a “song”. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.145.170.122 (talk) 04:52, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

 * Thanks for tackling “song”. Now perhaps you could correct “full performance” (which means the entire work is performed in the course of the film, obviously untrue). A more accurate sentence would be, for example, “the references build to a symphonic performance of the theme”. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.145.170.122 (talk) 08:12, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 December 2020
This line is in the Plot section: "Meanwhile, seeing another amiss, Powell prepares to leave" It should be changed to, "Meanwhile, seeing nothing amiss, Powell prepares to leave" Walter Wpg (talk) 05:53, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done DonIago (talk) 16:37, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

Title
Apologies if I have missed it but there doesn't seem to be any explanation of the title of the film - should this be added in? McPhail (talk) 12:12, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

 * I would support this if there are reliable sources explaining the title. Not sure if it warrants its own section, so perhaps it could be woven in. Erik (talk | contrib) (ping me) 15:43, 29 December 2020 (UTC)
 * What hidden story is there to the title? Darkwarriorblake / SEXY ACTION TALK PAGE! 18:38, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

"Die Hard was released on VHS in January 1989, priced at $89.98."
This is extraordinary to me - that's almost 200 bucks adjusted for inflation. It's cited to a NYT article which does indeed give this figure, but I just want to make sure, is it possible that was an error? Maybe the home media market really was different back then. Popcornfud (talk) 14:44, 16 January 2021 (UTC)
 * OK, this Quora reply answers my question. Consider me educated! What a fascinating bit of movie history I never knew. Popcornfud (talk) 14:46, 16 January 2021 (UTC)
 * That's why I add that kind of thing, I think it is interesting. Darkwarriorblake / SEXY ACTION TALK PAGE! 16:29, 16 January 2021 (UTC)

VHS price
I was surprised by this reversion. It's true that we don't say anything to imply the price was abnormal, but (as the previous talk section demonstrates) that's what a lot of readers are going to assume if we don't provide any context. So I'm not clear on why we wouldn't? I can't find a specifically relevant policy, but there are countless examples of similar clarifications throughout Wikipedia. So, could you please explain your reversion? I've undone it for now, as cited material should not be removed without discussion, but I'm open to being convinced if you can point to a policy that says we actually SHOULDN'T have all those similar examples, etc. -Elmer Clark (talk) 23:28, 12 May 2021 (UTC)
 * If the price was standard for the time, then why are we talking about it in the article at all? I'm unclear as to the significance at that point. DonIago (talk) 02:09, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
 * The police to this is WP:NOT - we don't include prices on items unless they are common parts of discussion about that item (eg we generally include the MRSP of iPhones and other consumer products as this is part of a value aspect in critical reviews of the product). Now yes, that $90 VHS was expensive but that seems to be an indication of the expensiveness of VHS at the time of its introduction, not necessarily of Die Hard itself. That would be a factoid over at the VHS article, not on Die Hard (to compare, on Video game monetization, down near the bottom we track the average price of video game media, a notable subject, identify the switch from cartridges to optical media, and there's commentary around that, but the prices are limited to that article, not the games themselves). --M asem (t) 02:20, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Per the discussion above this one, it's just an interesting factoid for people who aren't even aware what a VHS is, especially when you adjust it for inflation, and it's text real estate is small. I don't feel it necessary to state it is a standard price. Unlike something like Trading Places where it was deliberately priced significantly lower by the distributor to promote VCR sales and there is discussion related to that. I just don't think this is something that needs a greater degree of clarity. And I do believe I mentioned that in my edit summary to some degree, it wasn't a blank revert. Darkwarriorblake / SEXY ACTION TALK PAGE! 11:36, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
 * On reflection, I'm persuaded by Masem's point that this isn't really relevant for this article. It also tends to create confusion. It is interesting but this isn't the place for the information. Popcornfud (talk) 11:46, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Ok I've removed it .Darkwarriorblake / SEXY ACTION TALK PAGE! 12:43, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
 * For the record, I did find the information about the price interesting, and went down a bit of a rabbit hole because of that. If you look through the 1988 Sears Wishbook, the vast majority of VHS titles are below $30... although most of the tapes listed are kids' movies, classic movies, nonfiction "special interest" titles, and Dorf on Golf-type stuff. Was the price for Die Hard typical for an adult-oriented, recent Hollywood release? (A reference from January 1987 doesn't really help establish a standard price for January 1989.) I understand that NOTCATALOG may discourage listing the price, anyway, but I'm interested in learning more. Zagal e jo (talk) 16:26, 15 May 2021 (UTC)
 * I have no idea if Die Hard's VHS was abnormal or not relate to other VHS releases at the time, but if was, and we have non-primary sources to document that, absolutely that's worthwhile to include. I would certainly encourage trying to discover if these exist, but if it seems to be the case that this was the norm for non-children VHS films and not exclusve to DH, then that would likely be hard. --M asem (t) 16:55, 15 May 2021 (UTC)
 * The thing is, just being interesting isn't enough, it also has to be relevant and clear. I too found it interesting (see previous discussion), but this interesting information should be covered in its proper place. We could put a lot of interesting information this article, like the height of the Eiffel Tower, but... Popcornfud (talk) 18:28, 15 May 2021 (UTC)
 * I’m not necessarily arguing for anything to be added to the article. I just think this is a fun thing to research. Zagal e jo (talk) 00:07, 16 May 2021 (UTC)
 * If anyone's interested, I found a CBS Video Club ad that indicates the retail price of Die Hard had already dropped to $19.95 by 1990. (San Bernardino County Sun. March 11, 1990. pg. 118. Available from newspapers.com.) The copy reads, "Just look at what's happened to the prices on videocassettes! Contemporary hits like Twins, Die Hard, and The Accidental Tourist have been reduced from $89.95 to $19.95!" Zagal e jo (talk) 00:29, 16 May 2021 (UTC)
 * This rather sounds like Die Hard's VHS price wasn't exceptional for Hollywood big budget films of the time. If so, however, we might have something to add to e.g. VHS or Videotape format war. Daß Wölf 19:51, 17 May 2021 (UTC)

Well, I feel a little bad that this discussion ended up completely removing this point of interest from the article instead of contextualizing it, but I can't really disagree with anyone's points - this does seem like the most appropriate solution. -Elmer Clark (talk) 01:38, 18 May 2021 (UTC)
 * This sounds like people might be confusing rental VHS for retail VHS retail prices. Even today, a retail DVD will usually sell for 80 to 120$ per tape/disc (one use to find rental-intended discs on Amazon, but last I checked, they are hard to find). This is priced by studios to offset that the tape or video will be rented to multiple people by the rental business who buys it. In contrast, the retail price is usually 16-ish$ reflecting that only one family is expected to utilize the disc/tape. Especially in the '80s, a lot of VHS sales were by rental businesses, this changed as more and more people bought retail. It use to be that if you were a rental business, you had to purchase the rental disc/tape to be compliant with the licensing. In the past decade, that has pretty much vanished as the only real rental business remaining is Netflix's DVD/Blu-Ray-by-mail service (yes, it still exists as on 2021), so it is no longer really enforced. The last Blockbuster, for example, does not usually buy Rental discs, but rather grabs whatever retail disc they can procure, so even for them, the rental licensing is mostly a thing of the past. — al-Shimoni  (talk) 12:00, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

Vandalism
Any idea why this article is subject to so much vandalism today? Is there a post on reddit or something? Seems out-of-the-ordinary. Liz Read! Talk! 02:52, 14 May 2021 (UTC)
 * It was TFA yesterday. Daß Wölf 06:17, 14 May 2021 (UTC)

Importance rating
This is of low importance for American cinema? Seems very wrong and inaccurate to me. Zedd1997 (talk) 12:00, 21 June 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 25 December 2021
WP:PIPE the link "making it character of its own" towards Anthropomorphism. 2601:646:8400:1ED0:3890:8503:2139:77F5 (talk) 09:10, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: The text appears to be easily understandable to a reader. We don't generally add links for the sake of adding links. DonIago (talk) 17:38, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

Christmas Eve in lead paragraph
Had added Christmas Eve to the last sentence in the first paragraph "who is caught in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve", which seems perfectly fine and even essential as a descriptor since visiting an estranged wife at any time is quite the thing, and doing so on Christmas Eve is a long way from random (say, March 10). This was reverted. Then I linked Christmas Eve further down the lead which was, again, reverted as an overlink. Seems the lead is allergic to Christmas Eve. Since this film is now firmly in the Christmas column (see these 2018-2022 n-grams if there is still doubt) I'd like to propose adding Christmas Eve back into the "visiting his estranged wife" descriptor in the lead paragraph. Thanks. Randy Kryn (talk) 13:00, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * What is this "firmly in the Christmas column" thing? People watch it at Christmas because that's a tradition people have formed, view count doesn't make it a christmas movie, it makes it a film people watch at Christmas or read about AT Christmas because people say it's a Christmas film for clicks. Christmas Eve is an obvious term and so per Overlink it doesn't need to be linked, it's like linking to China in the Box Office section. Darkwarriorblake / Vote for something that matters 13:18, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Christmas Eve would not be an overlink, but that could be another discussion point in this section. "Christmas is all around us" (with this film), it is not just a random part of the plot. Yes, traditionally viewed at Christmas can designate it as a Christmas film, per common sense. In any case, this section refers to adding Christmas Eve to the first paragraph sentence quoted above. Randy Kryn (talk) 13:24, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Ok, so if a majority of people started watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Christmas, would we start calling it a Christmas film or a film people watch at Christmas? Darkwarriorblake / Vote for something that matters 13:29, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * To be honest... if a majority of people started watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Christmas, then a silly debate would emerge around whether it was a Christmas movie, then this debate would grow large enough to be covered by reliable secondary sources, and then we'd probably cover it in Wikipedia. Popcornfud (talk) 13:37, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * "Christmas Eve" is an "everyday word understood by most readers in context" (WP:OVERLINK). Popcornfud (talk) 13:28, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * I would say it that the Christmas Eve detail is not essential for the sentence that summarises the film premise — Christmas Eve has very little to do with the plot.
 * On the other hand, if we're going to mention the infamous "is it a Christmas film" dispute in the lead, then it feels appropriate to very briefly mention the Christmas Eve setting in that part instead. Otherwise the reader might wonder what the hell triggered the debate in the first place. Popcornfud (talk) 13:26, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Well, good to get the anti's addressed. The Christmas Eve setting of the film seems essential to the plot and resolution (and is carried over into the second film), so adding it to the estranged wife first paragraph sentence defines the concept. People who visit their estranged wives do so either when the restraining order runs out or when an emotional bridge appears, and Christmastime kicks that process into higher gear (not speaking from personal experience...or am I? No, I'm not). So yes, Virginia, there is a Christmas element to this film and should be addressed (or at least described) in that first paragraph sentence. With an obvious polar opposite disagreement here, maybe heading towards the RfC route, since this question hasn't been fully discussed as yet and either some carolers or some bah-humbugs can be overheard from time to time. Randy Kryn (talk) 13:45, 31 December 2022 (UTC)
 * This is a simple request, to add three words, 'on Christmas Eve', to the lead sentence "who is caught in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve." Since many people believe that this is a Christmas film, Wikipedia includes the film in List of Christmas films, and the n-grams show conclusively that the views of this page peak in an extreme manner at Christmas, the addition of those three words would seem uncontroversial. Randy Kryn (talk) 12:59, 5 January 2023 (UTC)
 * All things being equal, it would seem like a non-issue to mention that the film occurs on Christmas Eve, which it does. However, given the controversy over whether or not this is considered a "Christmas film", I do have some concerns that adding those three little words in will amount to us putting our thumb on the scale in favor of calling it a Christmas film. As such, at this time I'm inclined to weakly oppose adding the three little words. DonIago (talk) 13:32, 5 January 2023 (UTC)
 * I would agree with others that the fact this film takes place on Christmas Eve is non-essential to the plot (basically a mechanism for having a nearly empty building and a reason for McLean to be in LA), so having it up that high in the lede doesn't make sense. Instead, adding something to the last sentence of the lead, like "As Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve, it is also considered one of the greatest Christmas films made, though its status is disputed." --M asem (t) 13:43, 5 January 2023 (UTC)

 * Consensus seems to be to add the mention in the last lead sentence so as to not confuse readers about the Christmas-related controversy descriptor. Have added 'Christmas Eve' to the sentence. I'm still not understanding the controversy, especially since the film "was voted the greatest Christmas movie by British film magazine Empire readers in 2015", which provides a very well-sourced evidence for it being a Christmas film and actually one of the greatest Christmas films. Randy Kryn (talk) 11:54, 22 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Regardless of anything else, your inability to understand that readers of Empire magazine voting it a Christmas film does not, in fact, retroactively alter its genre, is frustrating. As is your ability to selectively ignore the content in the article that shows the majority of people do not, in fact, consider it a Christmas film, or that being set at a time of year but not being about that time of year, also does not make it a Christmas film. The Batman is not a Halloween film before it starts and takes place immediately after it. If you presented your case in any other way than "Bob who serves me coffee on my commute every morning thinks it is a Christmas film, there's a pretty clear consensus here," the engagement in the discussion might have been greater. Darkwarriorblake / Vote for something that matters 12:14, 22 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Sources are what counts on Wikipedia, and the Empire poll is an extremely major source for, if nothing else besides being judged the greatest Christmas film of all time, this being a Christmas film (by the way, I don't drink coffee, so don't know Bob). As for possibly reverting the mention of 'Christmas Eve' in the last paragraph, please explain how would you describe the consensus of this lagging discussion? Randy Kryn (talk) 12:18, 22 January 2023 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 06:37, 19 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Paul Gleason.jpg

Public reception
The reception section and its summary in the lead currently focus on its mixed/mediocre initial reception and subsequent reappraisal. What seems to be missing from that summary is the fact that it received an A+ CinemaScore and was considered a surprise success, especially considering how negative coverage of Willis was before release. Both seem to point to a very positive audience reception even at the time. These facts are mentioned in the article, but the overall narrative seems to contradict them. Over the last few years there have been plenty of films with mixed critical reception but overwhelming audience scores (notably Venom, the Mario movie or Dead Men Tell No Tales), so it shouldn't be that hard to include that in the article. jonas (talk) 03:31, 28 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Literally the first sentence of the critical reception section: "Initial critical reviews of Die Hard were mixed.[43] Audiences reacted more positively; polls by the market research firm CinemaScore found that audiences gave it an average rating of "A+" on an A+ to F scale."
 * LIterally the second and third sentence of the box office section: " It was considered a successful debut with a high per-theater average gross.[70] The Los Angeles Times said that the late change in advertising focus and diminishing popularity for action films should have worked against Die Hard. Instead, positive reviews and the limited release had made it a "must-see" film."
 * Literally comparing Venom's B+ score to Die Hard's A+ and calling it an overwhelming audience score? Darkwarriorblake (talk) 10:01, 28 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Die Hard


text:
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

Plaquemines Parish (French: Paroisse de Plaquemine, Louisiana French: Paroisse des Plaquemines, Parroquia de Caquis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 23,515 at the 2020 census, the parish seat is Pointe à la Hache and the largest community is Belle Chasse. The parish was formed in 1807.

Plaquemines Parish is part of the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area. It was severely damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, and in hurricane events in 2011 and 2021.

History
The name "Plaquemines," in French Creole, was derived from the Atakapa word piakimin, meaning the local fruit persimmon. The French used it to name a military post they built on the banks of the Mississippi River, as the site was surrounded by numerous persimmon trees. Eventually the name was applied to the entire parish and to a nearby bayou.

The oldest European settlement in the parish was La Balize, where the French built and inhabited a crude fort by 1699 near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The name in French meant "seamark", a tall structure of wood built as a guide for ships. By 1721 the French built one 62 ft high. A surviving map from about 1720 shows the island and fort, and the mouth of the river.

As traffic and trade on the river increased, so did the importance of river pilots who were knowledgeable about the complicated, ever-changing currents and sandbars in the river. They lived at La Balize with their families. The village was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, but it was abandoned for good after being destroyed by a September 1860 hurricane. The pilots moved upriver and built the settlement they named Pilottown, which reached its peak of population in the 19th century. The river pilots' expertise continues to be critical, but now they generally live with their families in more populated areas. They stay at Pilottown temporarily for work.

An important historical site is Fort Jackson, built in 1822 as recommended by General Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. In 1861, Fort Jackson served as an important Confederate defense for the city of New Orleans during the Civil War because it was at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The US Army used it as a training base during World War I, 1917–1918.

Plaquemines is one of only two parishes that have kept their same boundaries from the beginning of Louisiana's parishes in 1807 to today, the other being St. Bernard Parish.

20th century to present
Because Plaquemines Parish encompasses the last 70 mi of the Mississippi River before it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, it is the site of several oil refineries, which rely on the shipping lanes for moving their product. The Mississippi River Delta of Plaquemines is also a base for assistance to offshore oil rigs. Plaquemines Parish was the first place in the United States where shippers used a container for cargo in foreign trade. The area is also known for having the southernmost point in Louisiana, at just under 29 degrees north.

The August 1901 Hurricane caused damage, including 4 feet of water in Buras.

The Great Hurricane of 1915 devastated much of the parish, with multiple levee breaches on both sides of the Mississippi, a 12-foot storm surge, and hundreds of deaths. Homelessness was widespread, and many people were reduced to starvation until charitable aid arrived. The old Parish Courthouse in Pointe à la Hache was among the many buildings destroyed in the storm, but a new one was completed within the year.

In the early 1900s, Plaquemines was an exporter of citrus. Farmers used the railroads and the Mississippi to ship the large annual harvest to markets. Commercial fisheries, especially for oysters, have been important in the parish economy.

From 1924 to 1969, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes were effectively the domain of the Democratic political boss Leander Perez, who established a strong hold over the area. He was notorious for fixing elections and enforcing strict racial segregation. Upon his death, his sons Leander Perez Jr., and Chalin O. Perez were elected as the dominant political figures of the parish as district attorney and parish president, respectively. Interpersonal feuding weakened the family's hold on power. After another decade, by 1980 political opponents had begun to win local elections.

In 1969, Hurricane Camille devastated portions of Plaquemines Parish. Storm surge over 10 feet, winds over 100 miles per hour, and peak pressure at 941 hPa devastated Buras, Louisiana, Venice, Louisiana, and many more towns and cities.

During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, city and state leaders used dynamite to breach a levee at Caernarvon, 13 mi below Canal Street, in order to save the city of New Orleans from flooding. This action resulted in the flooding of much of the less populated St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, causing widespread destruction to agriculture and housing.

The Civil Rights struggle for African-Americans to become registered voters in Plaquemines Parish began in October 1946, under the guidance of Dr. Rev. Percy Murphy Griffin. With the aid of Attorneys Earl Amedee and Louis Berry from New Orleans, Griffin and twenty-six African-Americans from Plaquemines Parish organized the Plaquemines Parish Civil and Political Organization, Inc., to fight racial barriers established by Perez. In the summer of 1953, the group organized a voter registration drive for African Americans. In 1954, Irene Griffin became the first black woman to register to vote in the parish. The organization filed class-action suits against Leander Perez and in 1953, several African-Americans became registered voters in Plaquemines Parish. In 1966, the organization led the fight to integrate public schools. The movement also worked to get Seymourville and another small community included within the parish boundaries; the city had sought to exclude these majority-black communities to prevent black votes from being counted. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended legal segregation, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorized federal oversight and enforcement of voter registration and elections in jurisdictions with historic under-representation of minority elements of the population. After 1965, African Americans in Louisiana began full participation in Louisiana politics.

In 1965, Hurricane Betsy flooded many buildings, including the parish courthouse, and caused nine deaths. Leander Perez sealed off the parish to control the distribution of state assistance.

It is estimated that without significant human intervention, Plaquemines Parish will lose 55% of its current land to rising sea levels over the next 50 years.

Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana on August 29, 2005, resulting in one of the worst disasters in United States history; it severely damaged all of southeast Louisiana. Martial law was not declared in Plaquemines, contrary to many media reports, as no such term exists in Louisiana state law. No place escaped without some damage, while most of Plaquemines, Orleans, and neighboring St. Bernard parishes was severely affected. The towns of Pointe à la Hache, Port Sulphur, Buras, Triumph, Empire, Boothville, Phoenix, and Venice suffered catastrophic damage.

Amid heavy rains accompanied by hurricane-force winds in excess of 120 mph at initial landfall (with a Category 5 storm surge), the levees failed and broke. The storm surge which flowed in was more than 20 ft high. Although a majority of the populace had complied with mandatory state evacuation orders, some did not, possibly because they were not able to. At least three people died.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 2567 sqmi, of which 780 sqmi is land and 1787 sqmi (70%) is water. It is the largest parish by total area in Louisiana. Plaquemines Parish is bordered to the south and southeast by the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

 * [[Image:Louisiana 23 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 23
 * [[Image:Louisiana 39 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 39

Adjacent parishes and features

 * Orleans Parish (north)
 * St. Bernard Parish (northeast)
 * Jefferson Parish (west)

National protected areas

 * Breton National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Historic sites
The parish includes three United States National Historic Landmarks: The parish has five other sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including Woodland Plantation, which has been depicted on the label of Southern Comfort liqueur since the 1930s. Woodland Plantation is an antebellum mansion located in West Pointe à la Hache, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It is now operated as a bed and breakfast.
 * Fort De La Boulaye Site,
 * Fort Jackson, and
 * Fort St. Philip.

Communities
There are no incorporated areas within Plaquemines Parish. Communities not listed below include Happy Jack, Myrtle Grove, Nairn, Naomi, Oakville, and Scarsdale.

Census-designated places

 * Belle Chasse
 * Boothville
 * Buras
 * Empire
 * New Orleans Station
 * Pointe à la Hache (parish seat)
 * Port Sulphur
 * Triumph
 * Venice

Unincorporated communities

 * Bohemia
 * Braithwaite
 * Carlisle
 * Dalcour
 * Davant
 * Duvic
 * Grand Ecaille
 * Ironton
 * Jesuit Bend
 * Orchid
 * Phoenix
 * Pilottown
 * Port Eads
 * West Pointe à la Hache

Outdated designations

 * Boothville-Venice
 * Buras-Triumph

Ghost towns

 * Burrwood
 * La Balize

Climate
The parish has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with mild winters, long, hot and humid summers, plentiful rain year-round, and all months averaging significantly above 50″F (10°C). Six months average above 22°C (71.6°F.)  The hardiness zone is 10a.

Demographics
At the 2000 U.S. census, there were 26,757 people, 9,021 households, and 7,000 families residing in the parish; in 2010, its population declined to 23,042. The 2019 American Community Survey estimated 23,338 people resided in the parish. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 23,515.

At the 2019 census estimates, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 67.9% non-Hispanic white, 20.3% Black and African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian, 1.8% some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races; an estimated 7.3% of the population were Hispanic and Latino American of any race. In 2000, the racial makeup of the parish was 69.77% White, 23.39% Black or African American, 2.07% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races; 1.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Of the population in 2000, 2.22% reported speaking French or Creole French at home; in 2019, 10.4% of the population spoke another language other than English at home. Reflecting nationwide demographic trends of non-Hispanic white decline, the 2020 census determined 58.53% of the population was non-Hispanic white, 20.68% Black or African American, 1.08% Native American, 4.40% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 5.59% two or more races, and 9.51% Hispanic and Latino American of any race.

In 2000, were 9,021 households, out of which 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% were non-families. 18.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.30. At the 2019 census estimates, there were 8,919 households living in 10,174 housing units.

The median income for a household in the parish was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $42,610 in 2000. Males had a median income of $37,245 versus $21,691 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,937. About 15.40% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.70% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over. In 2019, the median household income increased to $57,204. Males had a median income of $49,251 versus $36,404 for females; 18.2% of the parish population lived at or below the poverty line.

Religiously, Christianity has been the area's predominant religion. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church was the parish's largest single Christian denomination with 14,845 members spread throughout 5 parish churches. Non-denominational and interdenominational congregationalist, Bible, and United and Uniting churches were the second-largest Christian group in the parish with 1,190 members. The non/inter-denominational churches reflected the increase among ecumenical and independent churches throughout Louisiana since the 2020 religion census by the Association of Religion Data Archives.

Economy
Plaquemines has a significant seafood industry. The parish exports millions of pounds of shrimp, crab, oysters, and fish annually. Plaquemines also has a vibrant citrus and horticulture nursery stock industry, but saltwater intrusion is becoming a hurdle to these producers. The seafood and citrus industries have suffered somewhat in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. About half the shrimping and shellfish fleet were lost. In January 2007, thousands of citrus trees went unpicked.

As of 2012, Plaquemines parish is the largest crude-oil producing parish in Louisiana. It produced over 14 million barrels in 2012.

Plaquemines Port is one of the largest ports in the United States, handling mostly domestic traffic. The Plaquemines Port, Harbor & Terminal District is coextensive with the parish. It was created in 1954 by the legislature of Louisiana as a state agency. It is governed by a committee of the Plaquemines Parish Council, acting as the Port Board.

Alternative energy
Oil and gas continue to play a dominant role in the Plaquemines economy; however, there is a growing policy and resource trend in favor of renewable resources. The Parish government is working with public and private partners to invest in renewable energy, including hydrokinetic energy and wind energy. Plaquemines has a huge potential for hydrokinetic energy sites along deep bends in the Mississippi River. The flow of the river is 470,000 cubic feet per second at the Head of Passes during normal river stages and 1,250,000 during peak times. Tidal turbines would be placed in deep bends of the river below seagoing and barge traffic. The turbines would also be located below the usual migrating routes of fish. Four companies intending to install turbines are in the regulatory and permitting stages.

The potential installation of wind turbines at the mouth of the Mississippi River is also being considered. The capacity of a wind source to produce energy is generally measured by Wind Power Density. Wind Power Densities are divided into seven Wind Power Classes. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Plaquemines has winds in specified areas that fall into a Wind Power Class of seven, which makes the Parish a particularly attractive location for wind turbine investment. Wind turbines would likely be placed at the mouth of the Mississippi, where winds are the strongest. Wind Energy Systems Technology has proposed to build a 12.5 MV wind farm in Barataria Bay off the coast of Plaquemines Parish. The energy would be sent to Myrtle Gove through an underground cable. The wind farm would be supplemented with natural gas turbines when wind speeds are either not sufficient or too robust to supply power. A similar proposal is being considered for the southern portion of the Parish.

Education
Plaquemines Parish School Board operates the public schools of the parish.

The parish is in the service area of Nunez Community College.

Politics
Plaquemines Parish was for a long time controlled by the notorious Democrat political boss Leander Perez, who turned the parish's voters away from the National Democratic Party with his support of the Dixiecrat ticket in 1948. The parish has been solidly anti-Democratic and at times overwhelmingly so at a Presidential level since 1948, with the only Democratic nominee subsequently to carry the parish being Bill Clinton in 1996. In 1952 it was the most Republican county-equivalent in the nation, and until the decay of the Perez machine no Democrat was to pass thirty percent of the parish's vote.

Plaquemines Parish is the home of former Parish President and current Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Billy Nungesser. Former Parish President, Republican Amos Cormier III, who additionally secured the endorsement of the parish Libertarians, defeated his Republican rival Kirk Lepine in the 2016 special election runoff by a margin of some 20 percent. On December 8, 2018, however, Lepine in a runoff rematch unseated Cormier, 3,625 votes (52 percent) to 3,289 (48 percent).

Keith Hinkley was elected Parish President in 2022.

Notable people

 * Dan Alexander
 * Irene Griffin
 * Billy Nungesser
 * Leander Perez
 * Chris Henry

title: Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana


text:
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana

Ouachita Parish (Paroisse d'Ouachita) is a parish located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807.

Ouachita Parish is part of the Monroe, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located here is Watson Brake, the oldest indigenous earthwork mound complex in North America. It was built around 3500 BCE, making it older than the Ancient Egyptian pyramids or Britain's Stonehenge. It is on privately owned land and not available for public viewing.

Prehistory
Ouachita Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before Europeans colonized the area. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and earthwork mound sites throughout the area. Notable examples include the Filhiol Mound Site, located on a natural levee of the Ouachita River.

The oldest and most significant is Watson Brake, the most ancient mound complex in North America, dated to 5400 BP (before present), or about 3500 BCE. Its dating changed archeologists' understanding of the antiquity of mounds in North America and what types of cultures constructed them. This site is located on private land and not available for viewing.

Historic era
The parish was named after the Ouachita River, which flows through southern Arkansas and northeastern Louisiana, and the Ouachita tribe who lived along it. Beginning about 1720, French settlers arrived in what became organized as modern Ouachita Parish. Colonists developed a plantation on Bayou DeSiard that used African slave labor. The Natchez Indians destroyed the Ouachita plantations during the Natchez Revolt of 1729–1731, and the French did not return.

Beginning in the 1750s, Choctaw Indians began hunting in northern Louisiana, including the Ouachita country, expanding from their traditional territory in what is now Mississippi. At the time, only a few French families moved north into this area from the Opelousas Post on the Red River.

Following its defeat in the Seven Years' War, in 1763 France ceded its territories in North America east of the Mississippi River to the victor Great Britain. Spain took over French territories west of the Mississippi, including nominally in Louisiana. In 1769, Alejandro O'Reilly, the first Spanish governor to rule successfully in West Louisiana, claimed Ouachita Parish for Spain. A census of the parish that year recorded 110 white people. In 1769 Spain abolished the Indian slave trade and Indian slavery in its colonies.

Even in the 19th century, after the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, some mixed-race American slaves were able to win freedom suits by proving Indian ancestry in their maternal line; under most southern state slave laws, children were born into the status of the mother. Thus a mixed-race child of an Indian mother or grandmother was legally free in former Spanish territory west of the Mississippi River, such as Louisiana, Arkansas or Missouri, as the Indians had been free people since 1769.

In 1783, Don Juan Filhiol was among Frenchmen who began to work for the Spanish colonial government in Louisiana. (He was born Jean-Baptiste Filhiol (1740) in Eymet, France (near Bordeaux), to French Calvinists François Filhiol and Anne Marie Teyssonnière, cloth merchants.) He was assigned that year to establish the first European outpost in the area of the Ouachita River Valley, called Poste d'Ouachita. With his wife, a few soldiers and slaves, his small party made the slow, arduous journey by keelboat up the Mississippi, Red, Black and Ouachita rivers to reach this area. In 1785 the European population of the entire Ouachita District (which extended into present-day Arkansas) was only 207.

Originally based in Arkansas, Filhiol surveyed his grant and settled in 1785 at Prairie des Canots (included within the present-day city of Monroe). He gradually organized settlers, including trying to train some in military skills. He built Fort Miro on his land to provide protection for settlers from the Indians. At the same time, he worked to establish trade with the Chickasaw people and other Native Americans of the area. He was tasked with organizing the settlers in the Ouachita River Valley, while keeping out Americans and establishing good relations for trade with the Native Americans. Filhio served as commandant of Poste d'Ouachita until 1800, when he retired. He continued to live on his plantation here.

Acquired by United States
Other settlers and merchants were attracted to the trading post, which became known as Fort Miro, with a town developing by 1805, two years after the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase from France. This was the vast former French territory (France had reacquired it from Spain for a brief period) west of the Mississippi and outside the Southwest and California, which were still Spanish territory. In 1819 the Americans renamed Fort Miro as the Ouachita Post. A year or so later, they changed the town's name to Monroe, after the first steamboat to reach it in travel up the Ouachita River. The arrival of the powered paddle wheeler was a landmark event, as it connected the town to much easier travel to and from other markets and stimulated its growth.

On March 31, 1807, the Territory of Orleans was divided into 19 sub-districts. The very large Ouachita Parish was one of these original 19; later it was broken up into eight other parishes (Morehouse, Caldwell, Union, Franklin, Tensas, Madison, East Carroll, and West Carroll), as more settlers entered the area and developed towns and plantations. Some brought slaves with them, but many bought slaves at markets. In the early 19th century, a total of one million slaves were forcibly moved through the domestic slave trade from the Upper South to the Deep South of the cotton plantation districts. They traveled overland or were shipped in the coastwise trade to Gulf ports.

Post-Reconstruction to present
Following the Reconstruction era, as white Democrats regained control of the state government, they increasingly worked to re-establish dominance over the freedmen in Ouachita Parish. Elections were often won by intimidation and fraud, and they worked to establish white supremacy. Particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lynchings mostly of black men by white mobs in Ouachita and across the South were a form of racial terror by which the whites enforced their dominance. A 2015 study of lynchings found that from 1877 to 1950, a total of 38 people were lynched in Ouachita Parish. This was the third-highest total in the state, and the fifth-highest total of lynchings of any county in the South. Among the victims was George Bolden, an illiterate black man "accused of writing a lewd note to a white woman". Before he went to trial, he was lynched near Monroe on April 30, 1919.

In 1883, the first railroad bridge across the Ouachita River was built, improving connections for the town with other markets.

In 1916, the Monroe natural gas field was discovered. The field stretched more than 500 sqmi and was estimated to have 6500000000000 cuft of natural gas in it. As a result, for a time the city of Monroe was known as the natural gas capital of the world. The new industry generated many jobs. From 1920 to 1930, the population of Ouachita Parish increased by more than 79 percent, to 54,000 people, as migrants arrived for work. (see Demographics section and table.)

The town of Sterlington was incorporated in August 1961, and in 1974 the town of Richwood was incorporated. Ouachita Parish's boundaries have changed 23 times during its history, mostly due to the formation of other parishes in the 19th century.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 632 sqmi, of which 610 sqmi is land and 21 sqmi (3.4%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-20.svg|25px]] Interstate 20
 * [[Image:US 80.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 80
 * [[Image:US 165.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 165
 * [[Image:Louisiana 2 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 2
 * [[Image:Louisiana 15 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 15
 * [[Image:Louisiana 34 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 34
 * [[Image:Louisiana 143 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 143

Adjacent parishes

 * Union Parish (north)
 * Morehouse Parish (northeast)
 * Richland Parish (east)
 * Caldwell Parish (south)
 * Jackson Parish (southwest)
 * Lincoln Parish (west)

National protected areas

 * Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
 * D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Cities

 * Monroe (parish seat and largest municipality)
 * West Monroe

Towns

 * Richwood
 * Sterlington

Census-designated places

 * Bawcomville
 * Brownsville
 * Calhoun
 * Claiborne
 * Lakeshore
 * Swartz

Other unincorporated communities

 * Bosco
 * Fairbanks
 * Pine Grove
 * Wham

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 160,368 people, 57,835 households, and 34,816 families residing in the parish.

Economy
The top employers in the parish, according to the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, are:

Law enforcement
The Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office (OPSO) is the primary law enforcement agency of Ouachita Parish. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. Since the formation of the Sheriff's Office, six deputies and one Sheriff have been killed in the line of duty, the most common cause being gunfire. The Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) was opened in 1963, presently houses a maximum of 1,062 offenders, and employs 124 full time deputies.

Education
Ouachita Parish School Board serves areas outside of the City of Monroe with primary and secondary schools. Monroe City School System serves areas within Monroe.

Monroe is also the home of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Media
A documentary entitled The Gift of the Ouachita by filmmaker George C. Brian (1919–2007), head of the Division of Theater and Drama at the University of Louisiana at Monroe is a history of Monroe as the "gift of the Ouachita River".

National Guard
1022nd Engineer Company (Vertical) of the 527th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in West Monroe, Louisiana. 528th Engineer Battalion (To the Very End) also part of the 225th Engineer Brigade is headquartered in Monroe.

Notable people

 * Joseph A. Biedenharn
 * Samuel B. Fuller
 * James D. Halsell
 * Dixon Hearne
 * Alton Hardy Howard
 * Newt V. Mills
 * Willie Robertson
 * Phil Robertson
 * Si Robertson
 * Jase Robertson
 * Edwin Francis Jemison

title: Ouachita Parish, Louisiana


text:
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

Natchitoches Parish (Paroisse des Natchitoches or Les Natchitoches) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,515. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Natchitoches, the largest by land area is Ashland, and the most density populated area is Campti. The parish was formed in 1805.

The Natchitoches, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Natchitoches Parish. This is the heart of the Cane River Louisiana Creole community, free people of color of mixed-race descent who settled here in the antebellum period. Their descendants continue to be Catholic and many are still French-speaking. The Cane River National Heritage Area includes the parish. Among the numerous significant historic sites in the parish is the St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church, a destination on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, founded in 2008.

Including extensive outbuildings at Magnolia and Oakland plantations, the Cane River Creole National Historical Park interprets the history and culture of the Louisiana Creoles. It is also on the Heritage Trail.

History
Natchitoches Parish was created by the act of April 10, 1805, that divided the Territory of Orleans into 12 parishes, including Orleans, Iberville, Rapides and Natchitoches. The parish boundaries were much larger than now defined, but were gradually reduced as new parishes were organized following population increases in the state. The parishes of Caddo, Claiborne, Bossier, Webster, DeSoto, Bienville, Jackson, Sabine, Red River, Winn, and Grant were eventually formed from Natchitoches' enormous territory. Natchitoches Parish has had fifteen border revisions, making it second only to Ouachita parish in number of boundary revisions.

During the antebellum period, numerous large cotton plantations were developed in this area, worked by enslaved African Americans. The parish population was majority black and enslaved by the time of the Civil War. There was also a large mixed-race population of free Creoles of color. Among the institutions they founded was the St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church, built in 1829. It is a destination on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.

In May 1861 free men of color in the area known as Isle Brevelle began to organize two militia companies. Other free men of color of Campti and that area enlisted in the Confederate Army later in the war; and it is believed that they were accepted into a predominately white company because of their longstanding acceptance in the community. Many of the free people of color were related to longtime white families in the parish, who acknowledged them.

After the war, during Reconstruction and after, there was white violence against freedmen and their sympathizers blacks in the aftermath of emancipation and establishing a free labor system. Most planters continued to rely on cotton as a commodity crop, although the market declined, adding to area problems. In the late 19th century, a timber industry developed in some areas.

Since the late 20th century, the parish has developed considerable heritage tourism. It also attracts people for fishing and other sports, including spring training on Cane River Lake by several university teams.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1299 sqmi, of which 1252 sqmi is land and 47 sqmi (3.6%) is water. It is the fourth-largest parish by land area in Louisiana. The primary groundwater resources of Natchitoches Parish, from near surface to deepest, include the Red River alluvial, upland terrace, Sparta, and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers.

Adjacent parishes

 * Bienville Parish (north)
 * Winn Parish (northeast)
 * Grant Parish (east)
 * Rapides Parish (southeast)
 * Vernon Parish (south)
 * Sabine Parish (west)
 * De Soto Parish (northwest)
 * Red River Parish (northwest)

Major highways

 * I-49.svg Interstate 49
 * US 71.svg U.S. Highway 71
 * US 84.svg U.S. Highway 84
 * Louisiana 1 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 1
 * Louisiana 6 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 6
 * Louisiana 9 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 9
 * Louisiana 117 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 117
 * Louisiana 119 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 119
 * Louisiana 126 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 126
 * Louisiana 153 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 153
 * Louisiana 155 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 155
 * Louisiana 156 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 156
 * Louisiana 174 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 174
 * Louisiana 480 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 480
 * Louisiana 485 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 485
 * Louisiana 486 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 486
 * Louisiana 494 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 494
 * Louisiana 1226 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 1226
 * Louisiana 3163 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 3163

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 37,515 people, 14,659 households, and 7,538 families residing in the parish. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 39,566 people living in the parish. As of the census of 2000, there were 39,080 people, 14,263 households, and 9,499 families living in the parish. The population density was 31 /mi2. There were 16,890 housing units at an average density of 14 /mi2.

Of its population in 2010, 54.3% were White, 41.4% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.9% of some other race and 2.1% of two or more races; 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). In 2000, its racial makeup was 57.85% White, 38.43% Black or African American, 1.08% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races; 1.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By 2020, its racial makeup was 50.37% non-Hispanic white, 39.6% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.8% multiracial, and 3.97% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, there were 14,263 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.30% were married couples living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 17.90% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $25,722, and the median income for a family was $32,816. Males had a median income of $29,388 versus $19,234 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,743. About 20.90% of families and 26.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.70% of those under age 18 and 19.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Until the late 20th century, Natchitoches Parish was reliably Democratic in most competitive elections. But the party affiliations have changed, and like most of the Deep South, have a distinct ethnic and demographic character. Since African Americans achieved certain gains under civil rights legislation and have been enabled to vote again since the late 1960s, they have supported the Democratic Party. Most white conservatives have left that party, and affiliated with the Republican Party, as has been obvious in parish results in presidential elections since 2000. These results reflect the demographic breakdown of the parish, where whites comprise a slight majority.

The last Democrat to win in Natchitoches Parish at the presidential level was native son of the South, Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1996, who received 8,296 votes (54.7 percent), compared to Republican Robert J. Dole's 5,471 ballots (36.1 percent). Ross Perot of the Reform Party attracted 1,053 votes (6.9 percent).

Education
Natchitoches Parish School Board operates local public schools.

Parish Schools, East Natchitoches Elementary & Middle High School, Fairview Alpha Elementary & Junior High School, Frankie Ray Jackson Sr. Technical Center, Goldonna Elementary & Junior High School, L.P. Vaughn Elementary & Junior High School, Lakeview High School, M.R. Weaver Elementary, Marthaville Elementary & Junior High School, Natchitoches Central High School, Natchitoches Magnet School, NSU Elementary Laboratory School, NSU Middle Laboratory School, and Provencal Elementary & Junior High School.

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

City

 * Natchitoches (parish seat and most populous municipality)

Town

 * Campti (most density populated municipality)

Villages

 * Ashland (least density populated municipality and largest by land area)
 * Clarence
 * Goldonna
 * Natchez
 * Powhatan (smallest municipality both area and population)
 * Provencal
 * Robeline

Unincorporated areas

 * Isle Brevelle

Census-designated places

 * Marthaville
 * Point Place
 * Vienna Bend
 * Adai Caddo US Census SDTSA

Other communities

 * Ajax
 * Allen
 * Bellwood
 * Bermuda
 * Bethel
 * Chestnut
 * Chopin
 * Cypress
 * Cloutierville
 * Creston
 * Derry
 * Fairview Acres
 * Fairview Alpha (also in Red River Parish)
 * Flora
 * Gorum
 * Grand Ecore
 * Grappes Bluff
 * Hagewood
 * Irma
 * Isle Brevelle
 * Janie
 * Kile
 * King Hill
 * Melrose
 * Mink
 * Mora
 * Pleasant Hill
 * Readhimer
 * Timon
 * Victoria
 * Vowells Mill
 * Westlake

Native American Tribes

 * Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana
 * Natchitoches people
 * Caddo

Hospital

 * Natchitoches Regional Medical Center (formerly Natchitoches Parish Hospital) owns 96 beds, serving for Natchitoches, Sabine and Winn Parishes.

Prison
Parish

Notable people

 * Curtis Boozman (1898–1979), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Natchitoches (two terms: 1952–1956 and 1960–1964).
 * Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698–1754), early 18th century explorer, trader and soldier of Fort Saint Jean Baptiste de Natchitoches. Father of the namesake of Bayou Brevelle and Isle Brevelle.
 * Leopold Caspari (1830–1915), merchant in Cloutierville from 1849 to 1858 and thereafter businessman and banker in Natchitoches. He served nonconsecutively in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1884 and 1914.
 * Monnie T. Cheves (1902–1988), Northwestern State University professor; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960
 * Charles Milton Cunningham (1877–1936), educator, lawyer, police juror, state senator, editor of The Natchitoches Times
 * William Tharp Cunningham (1871–1952), planter, lawyer, judge of the 11th Judicial District in Natchitoches and Red River parishes, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1908 to 1912, born in Natchitoches Parish in 1871
 * Numa T. Delouche (1888–1965), member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Cloutierville from 1944 to 1948, served alongside Sylvan Friedman of Natchez, Louisiana.
 * Caroline Dormon (1888–1971), naturalist, botanist, and preservationist; born and lived on her family estate of Briarwood in Natchitoches Parish.
 * Anne des Cadeaux Brevelle (unknown-1754), Adai Caddo Native American woman and early settler of Natchitoches. Devout Catholic and mother to the famed explorer of New France, Jean Baptiste Brevelle II, who is the namesake of Isle Brevelle.
 * Abraham Dowden, Democratic political figure.
 * Brothers J. Isaac Friedman (1877–1949) and Leon Friedman (1886–1948) served in the Louisiana House from 1908 to 1916 and 1932 to 1940, respectively. Isaac Friedman also completed two years of a term in the state senate (1922 to 1924), following the resignation of Charles Milton Cunningham. Their nephew, Sylvan Friedman was a member of both houses of the state legislature, serving in the House from 1944 to 1952, and the state senate from 1952 to 1972. The Friedmans came from a large Jewish landholding family in Natchez, Louisiana.
 * Thomas Gilcrease (1890–1962), born in Robeline. He moved as a child with his parents in 1899 to the community of Wealaka in the Creek Nation in Indian Territory, now eastern Oklahoma. Later an oilman and an art collector, he founded the Gilcrease Museum, which he later donated to Tulsa.
 * Lloyd Hendrick (1908–1951), member of the state senate for DeSoto and Caddo parishes, 1940 to 1948; born in Natchitoches Parish.
 * Andrew R. Johnson (1856–1933), Louisiana state senator and former mayor of Homer, Louisiana, in 1901 named and sold lots to establish the village of Ashland in Natchitoches Parish.
 * Ray Tarver (1921–1972), dentist from Natchitoches who represented Natchitoches Parish in the Louisiana House from 1964 to 1968; reared in Hagewood community in Natchitoches Parish

title: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana