Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish, Louisiana | |
---|---|
Concordia Parish Courthouse in Vidalia | |
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana | |
Louisiana's location in the U.S. | |
Founded | 1807 |
Named for | Possibly a land grant, New Concordia |
Seat | Vidalia |
Largest city | Vidalia |
Area | |
• Total | 747 sq mi (1,935 km2) |
• Land | 697 sq mi (1,805 km2) |
• Water | 50 sq mi (129 km2), 6.7% |
Population | |
• (2010) | 20,822 |
• Density | 30/sq mi (12/km²) |
Congressional district | 5th |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Website |
www |
Concordia Parish (French: Paroisse de Concordia) borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,822.[1] The parish seat is Vidalia.[2] The parish was formed in 1807.[3]
Concordia Parish is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Prehistory
Concordia Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before European settlements began. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and mound sites throughout the area. Notable examples include Cypress Grove Mound, DePrato Mounds, Frogmore Mound Site, and Lamarque Landing Mound.
Historic era
Concordia was named for a Latin word meaning "harmony".
During the American Civil War, Concordia Parish was staunchly Confederate. According to the historian John D. Winters in his The Civil War in Louisiana (1963), Concordia, "a planter-dominated parish, displayed unusual Confederate patriotism in early March [1862]. A handsome bounty of $100 was offered to any man who joined one of three designated companies forming for the duration of the war. A bounty of $50 would be paid to those joining either of two companies being raised in the neighboring parish of Catahoula. A $50,000 bond issue was voted to finance the bounty program. . . . $40,000 was appropriated for the relief of needy families of volunteers in the parish."[4]
Law and government
The current sheriff is Kenneth Hedrick, who won the office after former Sheriff Randy Maxwell announced his retirement.
Although the parish trends Democratic, in the 2008 presidential election, the Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois received 3,766 votes (39.5 percent) in Concordia Parish to 5,668 (59.5 percent) for the Republican nominee, John S. McCain of Arizona.[5] In 2004, Concordia Parish cast 5,427 votes (60 percent) for President George W. Bush and 3,446 ballots (38 percent) for his Democratic rival, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts. Local officials are almost entirely Democratic in affiliation, and Republicans rarely contest such elections.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 747 square miles (1,930 km2), of which 697 square miles (1,810 km2) is land and 50 square miles (130 km2) (6.7%) is water.[6]
The parish is completely agricultural bottomlands. The Ouachita River runs along the west boundary, the Red River along the south, and the Mississippi River along the east. All three rivers are contained by large levee systems.
Major highways
Adjacent counties and parishes
- Tensas Parish (north)
- Adams County, Mississippi (northeast)
- Wilkinson County, Mississippi (east)
- West Feliciana Parish (southeast)
- Pointe Coupee Parish (south)
- Avoyelles Parish (southwest)
- Catahoula Parish (west)
National protected area
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1820 | 2,626 | — | |
1830 | 4,662 | 77.5% | |
1840 | 9,414 | 101.9% | |
1850 | 7,758 | −17.6% | |
1860 | 13,805 | 77.9% | |
1870 | 9,977 | −27.7% | |
1880 | 14,914 | 49.5% | |
1890 | 14,871 | −0.3% | |
1900 | 13,559 | −8.8% | |
1910 | 14,278 | 5.3% | |
1920 | 12,466 | −12.7% | |
1930 | 12,778 | 2.5% | |
1940 | 14,562 | 14.0% | |
1950 | 14,398 | −1.1% | |
1960 | 20,467 | 42.2% | |
1970 | 22,578 | 10.3% | |
1980 | 22,981 | 1.8% | |
1990 | 20,828 | −9.4% | |
2000 | 20,247 | −2.8% | |
2010 | 20,822 | 2.8% | |
Est. 2015 | 20,142 | [7] | −3.3% |
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[1] |
As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 20,247 people, 7,521 households, and 5,430 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 9,148 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 57.9% White, 40.7% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,521 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 19.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $22,742, and the median income for a family was $28,629. Males had a median income of $27,453 versus $18,678 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $11,966. About 24.30% of families and 29.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.00% of those under age 18 and 20.60% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Concordia Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.
National Guard
1086TH Transportation Company of the 165TH CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion of the 139TH RSG (Regional Support Group)resides in Vidalia, Louisiana on the western border of Mississippi.
Communities
City
- Vidalia (parish seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Notable residents
- Al Ater, State representative (1984–1988) and secretary of state (2005–2006)
- Leo Boothe, longest serving District Judge of Concordia Parish and Catahoula Parish. (1991-2015)
- Clifford Cleveland Brooks, planter in St. Joseph, represented Concordia Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1924-1932.[13]
- James H. "Jim" Brown, state senator (1972–1980), Louisiana secretary of state (1980–1988), and insurance commissioner (1992–2000)
- Campbell Brown, Emmy-award winning journalist, CNN Anchor/host and daughter of Jim Brown
- Eugene P. Campbell, longest serving Concordia Parish sheriff, 1908-1940
- Charles C. Cordill, Louisiana state senator representing Concordia and Tensas parishes from 1884 to 1912[14]
- Hyram Copeland, current mayor of Vidalia since 1992
- Noah W. Cross, Concordia Parish sheriff, 1944-1948; 1952-1973
- Brenham C. Crothers, Ferriday cattleman; state senator from delta parishes from 1948 to 1952 and 1956 to 1960
- Troyce Guice, U.S. Senate candidate, 1966 and 1986
- Bryant Hammett, state representative, 1992–2006
- Sam Hanna, Sr., late publisher of Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday
- Shelby M. Jackson, Education superintendent, 1948–1964
- Jerry Lee Lewis, musician
- Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester (1858-1909), spent part of her childhood at Ravenswood Place plantation, in the vicinity of Lake St. John.
- Ed Rand, late state representative from Rapides Parish had a second home on Lake St. John.
- Dan Richey, state senator, 1980–1984
- Fred L. Schiele, state representative, Concordia Parish sheriff
- Howard K. Smith, ABC and CBS commentator
- Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist
- J. Robert Wooley, state insurance commissioner from 2000 to 2006; practiced law in Concordia Parish with James H. "Jim" Brown in late 1970s[15]
See also
References
- 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ "Concordia Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- ↑ John D. Winters, The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, pp, 74-75
- ↑ "Louisiana general election returns, November 4, 2008". sos.louisiana.gov. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Henry E. Chambers, History of Louisiana, Vol. 2 (Chicago and New York City: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925, p. 71)
- ↑ "Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2012" (PDF). legis.state.la.us. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Mike Hasten, "Louisiana insurance commissioner's race Wooley turns temporary job into a mission", November 7, 2003". capitolwatch.reallouisiana.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Concordia Parish, Louisiana. |
- Heinrich, P. V., 2008, Woodville 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Tensas Parish | Adams County, Mississippi | |||
Catahoula Parish | Wilkinson County, Mississippi | |||
| ||||
Avoyelles Parish | Pointe Coupee Parish | West Feliciana Parish |
Coordinates: 31°26′N 91°38′W / 31.44°N 91.64°W