Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Map of Pointe Coupee Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels.PNG
Map of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels
Map of Louisiana highlighting Pointe Coupee Parish
Location in the state of Louisiana
Map of the U.S. highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded 1807
Named for la pointe coupée, French for the place of the cut-off
Seat New Roads
Largest city New Roads
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

591 sq mi (1,530 km²)
557 sq mi (1,444 km²)
33 sq mi (86 km²), 5.64%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density

22,763
41/sq mi (16/km²)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Point Koo-Pee" and (pronounced "Point Coo-Pea" in English) (French: Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée), is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Roads. As of 2000, the population was 22,763.

Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 590 square miles (1,530 km²), of which, 557 square miles (1,444 km²) of it is land and 33 square miles (86 km²) of it (5.64%) is water. The land consists mainly of prairies and backswamp.

Major highways

Pointe Coupee Parish has 498.98 miles of highways within its borders.[1]

Minor Highwways

Major Waterways

Adjacent parishes

National protected area

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History

Pointe Coupee Parish (pronounced point coo-pay) was formed in 1805 as part of the Territory of Orleans (statehood for Louisiana followed in 1812). There were minor boundary adjustments with neighboring parishes up through 1852 when its boundaries stabilized.[4]

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Demographics

Census Pop.
1810 3,187
1820 4,912 54.1%
1830 5,942 21.0%
1840 7,898 32.9%
1850 11,339 43.6%
1860 17,718 56.3%
1870 12,981 −26.7%
1880 17,785 37.0%
1890 19,613 10.3%
1900 25,777 31.4%
1910 25,289 −1.9%
1920 24,697 −2.3%
1930 21,007 −14.9%
1940 24,004 14.3%
1950 21,841 −9.0%
1960 22,488 3.0%
1970 22,002 −2.2%
1980 24,045 9.3%
1990 22,540 −6.3%
2000 22,763 1.0%
2010 22,802 0.2%
Est. 2006 22,648 [5] −0.7%
Pointe Coupee Parish Census Data[6][7][8]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 22,763 people, 8,397 households, and 6,171 families residing in the parish. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16/km²). There were 10,297 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). 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 and 0.96% spoke Spanish.[1]

There were 8,397 households out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.70% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the parish the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

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.

The center of population of Louisiana is located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads [2].

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Cities and towns

Pointe Coupee Parish map showing names and locations of towns and communities

Incorporated

Unincorporated

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Education

Schools

The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board serves the parish.

As of 2008 the sole secondary school operated by the parish school board is Livonia High School, serving grades 7 through 12. Pointe Coupee Central High School became a charter school in 2008.

Private

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Hurricanes

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

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Notable natives and residents

  • Albin Provosty (1865–1932) – Newspaper editor, preservationist (St Francis Church – oldest in Miss Valley), State Senator, District Attorney, Member and leader LA Constitutionalm Conventions of 1913 & 1921, President, La State Bar Association, builder of "Provosty Hall".
  • Auguste Provosty (1818–1868) – State Senator, Member of 1860–61 La Secession Convention – Chaired Committee which produced the bilingual Secession Ordinance.
  • Bennet Barton Simmes, State Senator who lived at White Hall Plantation, Legonier
  • Buddy Guy, Singer and Performer
  • Catherine D. (Kitty) Kimball Chief Justice of LA Supreme Court.
  • Charles Parlange Chief Justice of LA Supreme Court.
  • Chris Williams plays offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams
  • deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964) was born in New Roads.
  • Emmitt Douglas (1926–1981) – President of the Louisiana NAACP from 1966–1981, resided in New Roads from 1949–1981
  • Ernest Gaines – Author
  • James Ryder Randall: Poet, Teacher at Poydras Academy, 1856–1860 (wrote Maryland, My Maryland while in Pointe Coupée).
  • Julien Poydras – 1st Territorial Representative for Louisiana; 1st State Senate President, philanthropist.
  • Lindy Boggs (born 1916) – former U.S. Representative and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
  • Major General John Archer Lejeune
  • Nauman Scott
  • Paul Raymond Smith (born 1959), former Pointe Coupee Parish sheriff
  • Russel L. Honoré - retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
  • Olivier Otis Provosty (1852–1924) – State Senator, Member of 1898 Constitutional Convention, Chief Justice of La Supreme Court
  • Zénon LeDoux, Jr. (1820–1850) – Member and Leader, Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1845; Louisiana Secretary of State, 1848–1850.
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National Guard

The 1088TH Engineer Company (Combat) resides in New Roads, Louisiana. This unit as part of the 256TH IBCT deployed to Iraq twice, 2004-5 and 2010. This units is a subordinate company of the 256TH BSTB (brigade special trooops battalion).

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External links

Coordinates: 30°43′N 91°36′W / 30.71°N 91.60°W / 30.71; -91.60

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Last modified on 28 March 2013, at 01:57