Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The parish seat is Lake Charles
. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768. Calcasieu Parish is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area
with a population of 194,138 as well as the Lake Charles–Jennings
Combined Statistical Area
with a population of 231, 201.
Calcasieu Parish was created March 24, 1840, from the parish of Saint Landry, one of the original nineteen civil parish
es established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1807. The original parish seat was chosen as Comasaque Bluff, that was east of the river and later called Marsh Bayou Bluff. On December 8, 1840, the seat of justice was named Marion. Jacob Ryan was successful, in 1852, in having the parish seat moved from Marion to the east bank of Lake Charles. As the population in this area grew over the years, the original Calcasieu Parish has since been divided into five smaller parishes. The original area of Calcasieu Parish is called Imperial Calcasieu.
n word, "quelqueshue", meaning "crying eagle". It was originally the name of an Atakapa chief, but became the name given to what was formerly the Rio Hondo River (Rio Stondo or "Deep River"), now the Calcasieu River
. The parish then inherited this name.2475 sq mi
occupation of Louisiana, when, in 1797, Jose M. Mora was granted a large tract of land between the Rio Hondo (now Calcasieu River
) and the Sabine River
, known for years as the "Neutral Strip". The area became a refuge for outlaws and filibusters from Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi. A long in dispute between Spain
and the United States
, after France
had ceded Louisiana to the American government in 1803
, was definitively acquired by the United States with the Adams-Onis Treaty
in 1819. The treaty was formally ratified on February 22, 1821. By an act of Congress, approved on March 3, 1823, this strip of land was attached to the district south of the Red River
.
Early settlers to the area included the Ryans, Perkins, LeBleus, Deviers, and Hendersons. Acadia
n settlers, from the eastern parishes of Louisiana, also emigrated to this area, resulting in a diverse ethnic mix in the poulation, consisting of Creoles
, Acadians, Anglo-Americans
, and Indians
.
When "Imperial Calcasieu Parish" was created in 1840 from the Parish of Saint Landry
, it actually comprised the area of what is now five parishes. On August 24, 1840, six men met to organize as representatives for six wards that later became five parishes. The meeting was held in a private dwelling, that was the rough-hewed home of Arsene LeBleu near present-day Chloe. The first jury men were David Simmons, Alexander Hebert, Michel Pithon, Henry Moss, Rees Perkins, and Thomas M. Williams. They first order of business was the elected officers, a parish clerk, and a set of simple parliamentary rules which would give the president authority to keep the meetings orderly and progressive. The jury adopted all of the laws then in force in Saint Landry Parish. Appointments were made for a parish constable, a parish treasurer, two parish assessors, and an operator of the ferry at Buchanan's crossing. The assessors were given two months and to assess all of the property in the parish and given a salary of $90. On September 14, 1840, a survey was authorized of land known then as Marsh Bayou Bluff for the purpose of establishing a seat of justice and for the erection of a courthouse and jail. On December 8, 1840 it was resolved that the seat of justice be given the name of Marion. In 1843, the Legislature authorized a vote on moving the parish seat, but it was not until 1852, that Jacob Ryan was successful in having the parish seat moved from Marion to the east bank of Lake Charles. This parish seat was incorporated as a town in 1857 as Charleston and was reincorporated in 1868 as Lake Charles. It is located about six miles (10 km) from the original parish seat of Marion, which is now known as Old Town. The name, Lake Charles, perpetuates the memory of one of the first settlers, Charles Sallier, an Italian who took up land in this area at the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1870 Cameron Parish was taken from the south portion of Imperial Calcasieu that remained until 1912, at which time it comprised an area of over 3600 square miles (9,324 km²), was the largest parish in the state, and for this reason is sometimes called "Imperial Calcasieu". In 1912, the three parishes of Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis, with a total area of approximately 2548 square miles (6,599.3 km²), were formed from the Parish of Calcasieu. Being the last parishes created in Louisiana it is believed to be the reason for the apparent population decline of Calcasieu Parish, between 1910 and 1920, as seen in the censuses for those years.
Older maps as show the Calcasieu to have been called "Bayou Quelqueshue", which means "crying eagle" in English, is said to have been the name of an Attakapas Indian chief who gave a peculiar cry like an eagle as he went into battle.
is the primary law enforcement on state highways within the parish.
The courthouse was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on November 2, 1989. It is a brick and terracotta structure completed in 1912 at a cost of $200,000 and is a replica of the famous Villa Copra, known as the Rotunda in Vicenza, which was designed by a noted Italian architect, Andrea Palladio, whose work became known in the 17th and 18th centuries. Calcasieu Parish's replica was designed by Favrot and Livaudais of New Orleans. The dome atop the courthouse is of solid copper.
An annex containing two additional court rooms and additional space for the Clerk of Court and the Police Jury was added in the year 1958, and another annex for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the State of Louisiana was completed in 1960.
In 1967, a Parish Government Building was completed to house the various offices of the Police Jury. This building was expanded in 2003, and houses the following departments: Office of the Parish Administrator, Records Department, Division of Finance/Purchasing, Facilities Management, Human Resources Department, Division of Planning and Development, Division of Engineering and Public Works, and the Government Access Channel.
In 1987, a new building was constructed to house the District Attorney's Office. A new state-of-the-art correctional center was completed in 1990 to replace the old jail which was constructed in 1956, and a separate building was completed in 1991 for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. A newly constructed Judicial Center to house the Fourteenth Judicial District was completed in March, 1994, and sits on the site of the old jail.
Between 1993 and 1998 an extensive interior and exterior restoration and renovation was performed on the Parish Courthouse originally built in 1912. The Courthouse houses several offices including the Clerk of Court, Juvenile and Family Court, Registrar of Voters, Sheriff's Civil Division, Veterans Affairs Office and others.
of 2010, there were 192,768 people, 73,996 households, and 50,490 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 176 people per square mile (66/km²). There were 75,995 housing units at an average density of 71 per square mile (27/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 73.60% White
, 23.98% Black
or African American
, 0.31% Native American
, 0.64% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.41% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.34% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 5.98% reported speaking French
or Cajun French
at home, while 1.56% speak Spanish
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=19&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 73,996 households out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples
living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $35,372, and the median income for a family was $41,903. Males had a median income of $36,569 versus $21,390 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $17,710. About 12.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.
He won 61% of the vote and 50,449 votes. Democrat Barack Obama
won 37% of the votes and 30,244 votes. Although McCain did very well in Calcasieu Parish, the majority of voters here chose Democrat Mary Landrieu
to be their U.S Senator. She won 41,183 votes and 51% of the vote. Her challenger, Republican John Kennedy won 36,855 votes and 46% of the vote. In 2004, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush
won 58% of the vote and 46,075 votes. Democrat John F. Kerry won 41% of the vote and 32,864 votes.
The total population in the incorporated areas is 108,336.
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 Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768. Calcasieu Parish is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area
Lake Charles metropolitan area
The Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Acadiana region of southwest Louisiana that covers two parishes - Calcasieu and Cameron. According to a 2009 Census estimate, the MSA had a population of 194,138. It is also part of the larger Lake Charles-Jennings...
with a population of 194,138 as well as the Lake Charles–Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
Combined Statistical Area
Lake Charles-Jennings combined statistical area
The Lake Charles-Jennings Combined Statistical Area is made up of three parishes in southwestern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Jennings Micropolitan Statistical Area. The largest principal city is Lake Charles, and the smaller...
with a population of 231, 201.
Calcasieu Parish was created March 24, 1840, from the parish of Saint Landry, one of the original nineteen civil parish
Parish
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...
es established by the Louisiana Legislature in 1807. The original parish seat was chosen as Comasaque Bluff, that was east of the river and later called Marsh Bayou Bluff. On December 8, 1840, the seat of justice was named Marion. Jacob Ryan was successful, in 1852, in having the parish seat moved from Marion to the east bank of Lake Charles. As the population in this area grew over the years, the original Calcasieu Parish has since been divided into five smaller parishes. The original area of Calcasieu Parish is called Imperial Calcasieu.
History
The name Calcasieu [p] comes from the AtakapaAtakapa
The Atakapan people are a Southeastern culture of Native American tribes who spoke Atakapa and historically lived along the Gulf of Mexico. They called themselves the Ishak, pronounced "ee-SHAK", which translates as "The People". Although the people were decimated by infectious disease after...
n word, "quelqueshue", meaning "crying eagle". It was originally the name of an Atakapa chief, but became the name given to what was formerly the Rio Hondo River (Rio Stondo or "Deep River"), now the Calcasieu River
Calcasieu River
The Calcasieu River is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A.. Approximately long, it drains a largely rural area of forests and bayou country, meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The name "Calcasieu" comes from the Native American Atakapa language katkosh, for...
. The parish then inherited this name.2475 sq mi
Early history
The early history of the parish dates back to the time of the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
occupation of Louisiana, when, in 1797, Jose M. Mora was granted a large tract of land between the Rio Hondo (now Calcasieu River
Calcasieu River
The Calcasieu River is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A.. Approximately long, it drains a largely rural area of forests and bayou country, meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The name "Calcasieu" comes from the Native American Atakapa language katkosh, for...
) and the Sabine River
Sabine River (Texas-Louisiana)
The Sabine River is a river, long, in the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana. In its lower course, it forms part of the boundary between the two states and empties into Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico. The river formed part of the United States-Mexican international boundary during...
, known for years as the "Neutral Strip". The area became a refuge for outlaws and filibusters from Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi. A long in dispute between Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, after France
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...
had ceded Louisiana to the American government in 1803
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, was definitively acquired by the United States with the Adams-Onis Treaty
Adams-Onís Treaty
The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Purchase of Florida, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain . It settled a standing border dispute between the two...
in 1819. The treaty was formally ratified on February 22, 1821. By an act of Congress, approved on March 3, 1823, this strip of land was attached to the district south of the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
.
Early settlers to the area included the Ryans, Perkins, LeBleus, Deviers, and Hendersons. 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...
n settlers, from the eastern parishes of Louisiana, also emigrated to this area, resulting in a diverse ethnic mix in the poulation, consisting of Creoles
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
, Acadians, Anglo-Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
When "Imperial Calcasieu Parish" was created in 1840 from the Parish of Saint Landry
Saint Landry
Saint Landry may refer to:*Landry of Sées *Landry of Paris *Landry of Metz , see Abbo II of Metz-See also:*St. Landry Parish, Louisiana*Landry...
, it actually comprised the area of what is now five parishes. On August 24, 1840, six men met to organize as representatives for six wards that later became five parishes. The meeting was held in a private dwelling, that was the rough-hewed home of Arsene LeBleu near present-day Chloe. The first jury men were David Simmons, Alexander Hebert, Michel Pithon, Henry Moss, Rees Perkins, and Thomas M. Williams. They first order of business was the elected officers, a parish clerk, and a set of simple parliamentary rules which would give the president authority to keep the meetings orderly and progressive. The jury adopted all of the laws then in force in Saint Landry Parish. Appointments were made for a parish constable, a parish treasurer, two parish assessors, and an operator of the ferry at Buchanan's crossing. The assessors were given two months and to assess all of the property in the parish and given a salary of $90. On September 14, 1840, a survey was authorized of land known then as Marsh Bayou Bluff for the purpose of establishing a seat of justice and for the erection of a courthouse and jail. On December 8, 1840 it was resolved that the seat of justice be given the name of Marion. In 1843, the Legislature authorized a vote on moving the parish seat, but it was not until 1852, that Jacob Ryan was successful in having the parish seat moved from Marion to the east bank of Lake Charles. This parish seat was incorporated as a town in 1857 as Charleston and was reincorporated in 1868 as Lake Charles. It is located about six miles (10 km) from the original parish seat of Marion, which is now known as Old Town. The name, Lake Charles, perpetuates the memory of one of the first settlers, Charles Sallier, an Italian who took up land in this area at the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1870 Cameron Parish was taken from the south portion of Imperial Calcasieu that remained until 1912, at which time it comprised an area of over 3600 square miles (9,324 km²), was the largest parish in the state, and for this reason is sometimes called "Imperial Calcasieu". In 1912, the three parishes of Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis, with a total area of approximately 2548 square miles (6,599.3 km²), were formed from the Parish of Calcasieu. Being the last parishes created in Louisiana it is believed to be the reason for the apparent population decline of Calcasieu Parish, between 1910 and 1920, as seen in the censuses for those years.
Older maps as show the Calcasieu to have been called "Bayou Quelqueshue", which means "crying eagle" in English, is said to have been the name of an Attakapas Indian chief who gave a peculiar cry like an eagle as he went into battle.
Governing body
Calcasieu Parish is governed by an elected body known as the Police Jury. There are 15 single-member Police Jury districts with a population of approximately 12,200 persons per district (based on the 2000 Census), and each district has one Juror elected for representation. This is in line with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court of the "one man, one vote" theory. The U.S. Department of Justice requires reapportionment (or redistricting) of the parish following each official census, which can change the boundaries of the single member districts, to ensure that each Juror represents approximately the same number in population.Law enforcement
The primary law enforcement for the parish is the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. The Louisiana State PoliceLouisiana State Police
The Louisiana State Police is the state police department of Louisiana, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state, headquartered in Baton Rouge. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Louisiana. It falls under the authority of the Louisiana...
is the primary law enforcement on state highways within the parish.
Courthouse
The first courthouse erected at Marion, a crudely built log cabin, was completed in August 1841. When the seat of justice was changed to Lake Charles in 1852, Sheriff Jacob Ryan with the help of his slave, Uncle George, and the aid of his good friend and fellow landowner, Samuel Adams Kirby, loaded the log cabin courthouse on an ox and took the small building through the piney woods to Lake Charles. A new wooden courthouse was then completed within a year. This courthouse was replaced in 1891 by a colonial brick building erected at a cost of $20,000, and in 1902 an annex was added to this building. This building was destroyed by a disastrous fire on April 23, 1910, as well as most of downtown Lake Charles, and many of the records of the parish were burned or damaged. On April 4, 1911, the Police Jury decided to build a new courthouse on the old site.The courthouse was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 2, 1989. It is a brick and terracotta structure completed in 1912 at a cost of $200,000 and is a replica of the famous Villa Copra, known as the Rotunda in Vicenza, which was designed by a noted Italian architect, Andrea Palladio, whose work became known in the 17th and 18th centuries. Calcasieu Parish's replica was designed by Favrot and Livaudais of New Orleans. The dome atop the courthouse is of solid copper.
An annex containing two additional court rooms and additional space for the Clerk of Court and the Police Jury was added in the year 1958, and another annex for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the State of Louisiana was completed in 1960.
In 1967, a Parish Government Building was completed to house the various offices of the Police Jury. This building was expanded in 2003, and houses the following departments: Office of the Parish Administrator, Records Department, Division of Finance/Purchasing, Facilities Management, Human Resources Department, Division of Planning and Development, Division of Engineering and Public Works, and the Government Access Channel.
In 1987, a new building was constructed to house the District Attorney's Office. A new state-of-the-art correctional center was completed in 1990 to replace the old jail which was constructed in 1956, and a separate building was completed in 1991 for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. A newly constructed Judicial Center to house the Fourteenth Judicial District was completed in March, 1994, and sits on the site of the old jail.
Between 1993 and 1998 an extensive interior and exterior restoration and renovation was performed on the Parish Courthouse originally built in 1912. The Courthouse houses several offices including the Clerk of Court, Juvenile and Family Court, Registrar of Voters, Sheriff's Civil Division, Veterans Affairs Office and others.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 1094 square miles (2,833.4 km²), of which 1071 square miles (2,773.9 km²) is land and 23 square miles (59.6 km²) (2.12%) is water.Major highways
Interstate 10
Interstate 210Interstate 210 (Louisiana)Interstate 210 in Louisiana is a bypass route in Lake Charles, in the southwestern part of the state. As a bypass of I-10, both of the ends of I-210 meet with I-10.-Route description:...
U.S. Highway 90
U.S. Highway 165
U.S. Highway 171
Louisiana Highway 12Louisiana Highway 12Louisiana Highway 12 is a state highway that serves Calcasieu Parish and Beauregard Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It spans from its western terminus at the Texas state line to its eastern terminus at an interchange with U.S. Route 171 and U.S...
Louisiana Highway 14Louisiana Highway 14Louisiana Highway 14 is a state highway that serves Calcasieu Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Vermillion Parish, and Iberia Parish in Louisiana. It spans , running from west to east. Highway 14 is often referred to as "The Four Lane" by the local residents.-Route description:From the west, LA 14...
Louisiana Highway 27Louisiana Highway 27Louisiana Highway 27 is a state highway that serves Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, and Cameron Parish. It spans as a north south road with running west to east...
Adjacent parishes
- Beauregard ParishBeauregard Parish, LouisianaBeauregard Parish [p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was formed on 1 January 1913. The parish seat is DeRidder. As of 2000, the population was 32,986. Beauregard Parish is part of the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Fort Polk...
(north) - 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...
(east) - Cameron ParishCameron Parish, LouisianaCameron Parish is the parish with the most land area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Cameron and as of 2010, the population was 6,839...
(south) - Orange CountyOrange County, TexasOrange County is one of 254 counties of the State of Texas and its county seat is the city of Orange, Texas. In the year 2000, the population of Orange County was about 85,000. Orange County is the county in the very southeastern corner of Texas, with a boundary with Louisiana and a seacoast on the...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(west) - Newton CountyNewton County, TexasNewton County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. In of 2000, its population was 15,072. Its county seat is Newton. Newton county is named for John Newton, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(northwest)
Metropolitan Statistical Areas within general proximity
- Beaumont–Port ArthurBeaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan areaThe Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as a three-county region in Southeast Texas, east of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The area is also known as the Golden Triangle...
(TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) - Lafayette
- Alexandria
Major Waterways
- Lake Charles
- Calcasieu RiverCalcasieu RiverThe Calcasieu River is a river on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Louisiana, U.S.A.. Approximately long, it drains a largely rural area of forests and bayou country, meandering southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The name "Calcasieu" comes from the Native American Atakapa language katkosh, for...
- Intracoastal Canal
- Ouiski Chitto CreekOuiski Chitto CreekOuiska Chitto Creek is an spring-fed creek located in Allen, Beauregard, and Vernon parishes, Louisiana, in the United States. It is a tributary to the Calcasieu River. It is located between Mittie and Reeves, Louisiana....
- English Bayou
- West Fork
- Calcasieu LakeCalcasieu LakeCalcasieu Lake is a brackish lake located in southwest Louisiana, United States, located mostly within Cameron Parish. The lake is paralleled on its west shore by Louisiana Highway 27 and is located about 17 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana....
aka "Big Lake"
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 2010, there were 192,768 people, 73,996 households, and 50,490 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 176 people per square mile (66/km²). There were 75,995 housing units at an average density of 71 per square mile (27/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 73.60% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 23.98% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.31% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.64% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.41% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.34% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 5.98% 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, while 1.56% speak Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=19&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 73,996 households out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% 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, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.40% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $35,372, and the median income for a family was $41,903. Males had a median income of $36,569 versus $21,390 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 $17,710. About 12.80% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.90% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.
2008 and 2004 Presidential Election
Calcasieu Parish voted for Republican John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
He won 61% of the vote and 50,449 votes. Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won 37% of the votes and 30,244 votes. Although McCain did very well in Calcasieu Parish, the majority of voters here chose Democrat Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
to be their U.S Senator. She won 41,183 votes and 51% of the vote. Her challenger, Republican John Kennedy won 36,855 votes and 46% of the vote. In 2004, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won 58% of the vote and 46,075 votes. Democrat John F. Kerry won 41% of the vote and 32,864 votes.
Cities and towns
- DeQuincyDeQuincy, LouisianaDeQuincy is the northernmost city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,398 at the 2000 census. DeQuincy is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:DeQuincy is located at ....
with a population of 3,398. - IowaIowa, LouisianaIowa is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
with a population of 2,663. - Lake CharlesLake Charles, LouisianaLake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
with a population of 71,757. - SulphurSulphur, LouisianaSulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
with a population of 22,512. - VintonVinton, LouisianaVinton is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,338 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History of Vinton:...
with a population of 3,338. - WestlakeWestlake, LouisianaWestlake is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is considered a suburb of Lake Charles. The population was 4,668 at the 2000 census...
with a population of 4,668.
The total population in the incorporated areas is 108,336.
Unincorporated areas
- CarlyssCarlyss, LouisianaCarlyss is a census-designated place in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,049 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Carlyss is located at ....
with a population of 4,049. - GillisGillis, LouisianaGillis is an unincorporated community in northern Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. Gillis, adjacent to two other unincorporated areas , is the northernmost settlement in the Greater Lake Charles area and the last stop where one can buy beer before entering into completely dry...
- HayesHayes, LouisianaHayes is an unincorporated community located in the southeast corner of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area....
with a population of 418 - Moss BluffMoss Bluff, LouisianaMoss Bluff is a census-designated place in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,535 at the 2000 census. Located just north of the city of Lake Charles, it is considered a suburb of that city. Moss Bluff is a burgeoning community, and is one of the communities in...
with a population of 11,557. - MossvilleMossville, LouisianaMossville is a small, predominantly African American community on the outskirts of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- PrienPrien, LouisianaPrien is a census-designated place in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,215 at the 2000 census and continues to grow. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area...
with a population of 7,215. - StarksStarks, LouisianaStarks is an unincorporated area in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States located approximately north west of Lake Charles about from the Texas/Louisiana border. Starks is well known for its annual to celebrate the fruit that grows in the bayous along the Texas/Louisiana border....
Notable natives and residents
- A.C. Clemons (1921–1992) was the first declared RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana State SenateLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
since Reconstruction. His district include part of Calcasieu Parish.
- Dan FlavinDan Flavin (Louisiana politician)Daniel Thomas Flavin, known as Dan Flavin , is a Realtor in Lake Charles, Louisiana, who served from 1996-2005 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 36 . Flavin was elected as a Democrat in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in October 1995...
(born 1957) is a former Republican member of the Louisiana House of RerpesentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. He operates a real estate office in Lake Charles.
- Lether FrazarLether FrazarLether Edward Frazar was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana under Governor Earl Kemp Long from 1956-1960, who had earlier, as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Beauregard Parish, authored the state teacher retirement law...
(1904–1960) was the fourth president of McNeese State UniversityMcNeese State UniversityMcNeese State University is a public university located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the United States. Founded in 1939 as a junior college, McNeese experienced growth due to economic activity in the region. It adopted its present name in 1970....
, the second president of the University of Louisiana at LafayetteUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteThe University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, and a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He died shortly after vacating the lieutenant governorship, which he held in the third term of Governor Earl Kemp Long.
- Ronnie JohnsRonnie Johns (Louisiana politician)Ronald Steven Johns, known as Ronnie Johns , is a State Farm Insurance agency owner in Sulphur, Louisiana, who is an incoming Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 27 in Calcasieu Parish. He is unopposed in the nonpartisan blanket primary set for October 22, 2011, to choose...
(born 1949) is a State Farm InsuranceState Farm InsuranceState Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company also has operations in Canada....
agency owner in Sulphur who served in the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1996 to 2008 and is the unopposed incoming state senatorLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from District 27.
- Robert G. "Bob" Jones (born 1939), a Lake Charles stockbroker, served in both houses of the Louisiana legislature between 1968 and 1976 and was an unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial contender in the 1975 nonpartisan blanket primary. He later turned Republican.
- Sam Houston JonesSam H. Jones--4.230.222.169 Sam Houston Jones was the 46th Governor of Louisiana from 1940 to 1944. He defeated the renowned Earl Kemp Long in the 1940 Democratic primary. Long turned the tables on Jones and defeated him in the 1948 party primary.-Early life:Sam Jones was born in Merryville in Beauregard...
(1897–1978), though born in nearby Beauregard Parish, practiced law in Lake Charles prior to his election as governor in 1940.
- Alvan LafargueAlvan LafargueAlvan Henry Lafargue, Sr. , was a Louisiana physician, politician, and civic leader. His medical practice exceeded fifty years...
(1883-1962) was a 50-year physician who practiced primarily in Calcasieu Parish. He delivered more than five thousand babies. He was the mayor of SulphurSulphur, LouisianaSulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
from 1926 to 1932.
- Coleman LindseyColeman LindseyIsaac Coleman Lindsey, known as Coleman Lindsey , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, a district judge, and from 1939 to 1940, the lieutenant governor under Governor Earl Kemp Long....
(1892–1968) was born in a part of Calcasieu Parish that is now the Dry Creek community of Allen ParishAllen Parish, LouisianaAllen Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Oberlin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,440. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria....
. He was a state senator from BossierBossier Parish, LouisianaBossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
and Webster parishsWebster Parish, LouisianaWebster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
, lieutenant governor from 1939–1940, and a state court district judge in East Baton Rouge Parish from 1950 until his death.
- Victor T. "Vic" StellyVic StellyVictor Theodore Stelly, known as Vic Stelly , is a retired businessman from Lake Charles, Louisiana, a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents for Higher Education, and from 1988-2004 a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 35 in Calcasieu Parish in the...
(born 1941), former Republican state representative from Calcasieu Parish and author of the Stelly PlanStelly PlanThe Stelly Plan is a since repealed 2002 tax measure in the U.S. state of Louisiana designed to shift certain state sales taxes on food for home consumption and utilities to increases in state income taxes. Narrowly approved by voters, the proposal soon ran into criticism as middle-class taxpayers...
- Martin WaldronMartin WaldronMartin Oliver "Mo" Waldron was an American newspaper reporter, whose investigative reporting on "reckless, unchecked spending" on the construction of the Sunshine State Parkway won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service for the St...
(1925–1981), winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize1964 Pulitzer Prize-Journalism awards:*Public Service:**The St. Petersburg Times, for its aggressive investigation of the Florida Turnpike Authority which disclosed widespread illegal acts and resulted in a major reorganization of the State's road construction program....
for reporting on unchecked spending on the Florida Turnpike.
See also
- Lake Charles, LouisianaLake Charles, LouisianaLake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
- History of Lake Charles, LouisianaHistory of Lake Charles, Louisiana-Early historical events, settlement and incorporation:While several American Indian tribes are known to have lived in the area occupied by present-day Lake Charles, the first European settlers arrived in the 1760s....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Calcasieu Parish, LouisianaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Calcasieu Parish, LouisianaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States...
External links
Geology
- Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2002, Lake Charles 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.