Acadia Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Acadia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The parish seat is Crowley
. According to the 2010 census, the population of Acadia Parish is 61,773. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish
in 1887 after an election to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne
and Prairie Hayes.
Acadia Parish makes up the entire Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as part of the Lafayette
–Acadiana
Combined Statistical Area
.
is derived from the former French
colony of Acadia
in Canada
(which consisted of the modern provinces of Nova Scotia
, Prince Edward Island
, New Brunswick
, and much of Maine
) many of whose French-speaking inhabitants were deported to France and then migrated to Louisiana in the Great Upheaval
(see Cajun
s).
of 2000, there were 58,861 people, 21,142 households, and 15,666 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 90 people per square mile (35/km²). There were 23,209 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 80.73% White, 18.25% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.04% reported speaking French
or Cajun French
at home.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=1&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 21,142 households out of which 38.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples
living together, 14.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 22.60% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $26,684, and the median income for a family was $31,812. Males had a median income of $29,353 versus $17,179 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $13,424. 24.50% of the population and 21.00% of families were below the poverty line. 30.30% of those under the age of 18 and 25.20% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
More information on these communities can be found at http://www.acadia.lib.la.us/newpage1.htm
Acadia Parish Library operates branches in the parish http://www.acadia.lib.la.us/.
Geology
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The parish seat is Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
. According to the 2010 census, the population of Acadia Parish is 61,773. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
St. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
in 1887 after an election to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne
Rayne, Louisiana
Rayne is a city in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,552 at the 2000 census. It is nicknamed the "Frog Capital of the World", as well as the "Louisiana City of Murals".Rayne is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area....
and Prairie Hayes.
Acadia Parish makes up the entire Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as part of the Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
–Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
Combined Statistical Area
Lafayette-Acadiana combined statistical area
The Lafayette-Acadiana Combined Statistical Area is made up of six parishes in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area and four micropolitan statistical areas - Abbeville, Crowley, New Iberia, and Opelousas-Eunice...
.
History
The name of the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
is derived from the former French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
colony of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(which consisted of the modern provinces of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and much of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
) many of whose French-speaking inhabitants were deported to France and then migrated to Louisiana in the Great Upheaval
Great Upheaval
The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal by the British of the Acadian people from present day Canadian Maritime provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
(see Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
s).
Geography
The parish covers 658 square miles (1,704.2 km²), of which 655 square miles (1,696.4 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.35%) is water.Major highways
Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
U.S. Highway 90
Louisiana Highway 13Louisiana Highway 13Louisiana Highway 13 is a state highway in Vermilion Parish, Acadia Parish, and Evangeline Parish. It spans .-Route description:...
Louisiana Highway 35
Adjacent parishes
- Evangeline ParishEvangeline Parish, Louisiana-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 35,434 people, 12,736 households, and 9,157 families residing in the parish. The population density was 53 people per square mile . There were 14,258 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
(north) - St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish, LouisianaSt. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
(northeast) - Lafayette ParishLafayette Parish, LouisianaLafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lafayette. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578....
(east) - Vermillion Parish (south)
- Jefferson Davis ParishJefferson Davis Parish, LouisianaJefferson Davis Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Jennings. As of 2000, its population was 31,435. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern...
(west)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 58,861 people, 21,142 households, and 15,666 families residing in the parish. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 90 people per square mile (35/km²). There were 23,209 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 80.73% White, 18.25% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.04% reported speaking French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
at home.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=1&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 21,142 households out of which 38.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were non-families. 22.60% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $26,684, and the median income for a family was $31,812. Males had a median income of $29,353 versus $17,179 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the parish was $13,424. 24.50% of the population and 21.00% of families were below the poverty line. 30.30% of those under the age of 18 and 25.20% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Cities, towns, and villages
|
Estherwood, Louisiana Estherwood is a village in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 807 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... Eunice, Louisiana Eunice is a city in Acadia, Evangeline and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 11,499 at the 2000 census.The St... |
Iota, Louisiana Iota is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,376 at the 2000 census. Its previous names were "Pointe Aux Loups" and "Cartville".Iota is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.... Mermentau, Louisiana Mermentau is a village in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 721 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Morse, Louisiana Morse is a village in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 759 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.Incorporated as a village in 1906, it was settled by farmers from Illinois and Iowa... Rayne, Louisiana Rayne is a city in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,552 at the 2000 census. It is nicknamed the "Frog Capital of the World", as well as the "Louisiana City of Murals".Rayne is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.... |
Other Unincorporated Communities
|
More information on these communities can be found at http://www.acadia.lib.la.us/newpage1.htm
Education
Acadia Parish is served by Acadia Parish Schools http://www.acadia.k12.la.us/.Acadia Parish Library operates branches in the parish http://www.acadia.lib.la.us/.
Notable natives and residents
- Paul B. FreelandPaul B. FreelandPaul Butterfield Freeland was a Presbyterian minister, historian, philanthropist, and genealogist from Crowley, the seat of Acadia Parish in south Louisiana, United States....
coauthored Acadia Parish, Louisiana: A HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
to 1900. His collection of photographPhotographA photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s and memorabilia of the Crowley area can be accessed from the archives of the Acadia Parish Library in Crowley. - Sculptor George StanleyGeorge Stanley (sculptor)George Stanley is an American sculptor. He designed the Academy Award of Merit, or Oscar, as well as sculpting the Muse Statue at the Hollywood Bowl.- Early life :Stanley was born in Acadia Parish, Louisiana in the year 1903...
, famous for the design of the Oscar statue and the Muse Sculpture at the Hollywood BowlHollywood BowlThe Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances... - Eugene Wilton FrémauxEugene Wilton FrémauxEugene Wilton Frémaux Eugene Wilton Frémaux Eugene Wilton Frémaux (August 24, 1887 - March 14, 1969. was an Alexandria, Louisiana businessman and civic leader who in 1937 became the sole owner of Brown Hide Company. The company did an extensive business in green and salt hides which were shipped...
, Acadia Parish native and successful Alexandria, LouisianaAlexandria, LouisianaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
businessman, entrepreneur, and civic leader.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Acadia Parish, Louisiana
External links
Geology
- Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003, Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.