Delhi, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Delhi, originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish
, Louisiana
, in the United States
. As of the 2000 census
, the town population was 3,066.
, Delhi and Monroe
, the seat of Ouachita Parish
, were both overcrowded with unwelcome refugees from rural areas to the east when the forces of General
U.S. Grant moved into northeastern Louisiana and spent the winter of 1862-1863 at Winter Quarters
south of Newellton
in Tensas Parish
in preparation for the siege of Vicksburg
, Mississippi
, not completed until July 4, 1863. Historian John D. Winters
reported "strong Union sympathy" in both Delhi and Monroe.
In the 1940s
, Delhi was the center of a large natural gas
boom, and several functioning gas fields still surround the town.
On February 21, 1971, Louisiana's only recorded F5 tornado struck Delhi. It took forty-six lives and was the deadliest F5 tornado to hit the United States since the Jackson
, Mississippi, Candlestick Park Tornado
five years earlier in 1966 and the earliest confirmed F5 tornado during a year.
Later, on May 3, 1999, it lost its record as most destructive tornado in history to the Moore, Oklahoma Tornado
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (2.33%) of it is water.
The elevation of 89 ft (27.1 m) spared Delhi from the brunt of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
that destroyed most of the surrounding Mississippi River Delta
area.
The newly constructed Poverty Point Reservoir, which hosts the acclaimed Black Bear Golf Club, is located just north of the town on Louisiana Highway 17 near Warden, Louisiana.
of 2000, there were 3,066 people, 1,129 households, and 788 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,215.2 people per square mile. There were 1,253 housing units at an average density of 496.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 42.24% White, 56.78% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.36% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 1,129 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples
living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,763, and the median income for a family was $25,651. Males had a median income of $25,054 versus $12,837 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $11,161. About 26.2% of families and 31.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.7% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.
. Three campuses serve the town of Delhi - Delhi Elementary School (Grades PK-4), Delhi Middle School (Grades 5-8), Delhi High School (Grades 9-12), and Delhi Charter School (DCS) (K-12).
Richland Parish, Louisiana
Richland Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Rayville. As of 2010, the population was 20,725.-History:...
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the town population was 3,066.
History
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Delhi and Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, the seat of Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
, were both overcrowded with unwelcome refugees from rural areas to the east when the forces of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
U.S. Grant moved into northeastern Louisiana and spent the winter of 1862-1863 at Winter Quarters
Winter Quarters State Historic Site
Winter Quarters in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, United States, is a surviving example of an Antebellum cotton plantation. It is located south of Newellton on Lake St. Joseph, an ox-bow lake, or former bend in the Mississippi River. The main plantation home of the site began as a hunting lodge in 1805...
south of Newellton
Newellton, Louisiana
Newellton is a town in northern Tensas Parish in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population is 1,227 in the 2010 census, a decline of 255 from 2000. Newellton is some 65 percent African American. It is just west of the Mississippi River on Lake St. Joseph, an ox-bow lake....
in Tensas Parish
Tensas Parish, Louisiana
Tensas Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is St. Joseph. In 2010, the population of Tensas Parish was 5,252; it is the least-populous of all sixty-four parishes....
in preparation for the siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, not completed until July 4, 1863. Historian John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...
reported "strong Union sympathy" in both Delhi and Monroe.
In the 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
, Delhi was the center of a large natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
boom, and several functioning gas fields still surround the town.
On February 21, 1971, Louisiana's only recorded F5 tornado struck Delhi. It took forty-six lives and was the deadliest F5 tornado to hit the United States since the Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi, Candlestick Park Tornado
Candlestick Park Tornado
On March 3, 1966, a violent F5 tornado, dubbed the Candlestick Park tornado after the name of a Jackson, Mississippi shopping mall which was leveled by the storm, wrought catastrophic damage in Mississippi and Alabama along a track. The tornado first touched down in Hinds County, Mississippi...
five years earlier in 1966 and the earliest confirmed F5 tornado during a year.
Later, on May 3, 1999, it lost its record as most destructive tornado in history to the Moore, Oklahoma Tornado
Moore, Oklahoma
Moore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 55,081 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
.
Geography
Delhi is located at 32°27′21"N 91°29′36"W (32.455948, -91.493345). The town lies at the confluence of US Highway 80 and Louisiana Highway 17, and near to Interstate Highway 20.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (2.33%) of it is water.
The elevation of 89 ft (27.1 m) spared Delhi from the brunt of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States.-Events:The flood began when heavy rains pounded the central basin of the Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By September, the Mississippi's tributaries in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to...
that destroyed most of the surrounding Mississippi River Delta
Mississippi River Delta
The Mississippi River Delta is the modern area of land built up by alluvium deposited by the Mississippi River as it slows down and enters the Gulf of Mexico...
area.
The newly constructed Poverty Point Reservoir, which hosts the acclaimed Black Bear Golf Club, is located just north of the town on Louisiana Highway 17 near Warden, Louisiana.
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 3,066 people, 1,129 households, and 788 families residing in the town. 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 1,215.2 people per square mile. There were 1,253 housing units at an average density of 496.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 42.24% White, 56.78% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.36% 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 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 1,129 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% 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, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,763, and the median income for a family was $25,651. Males had a median income of $25,054 versus $12,837 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 town was $11,161. About 26.2% of families and 31.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.7% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public schools in Richland Parish are operated by the Richland Parish School BoardRichland Parish School Board
The Richland Parish School Board is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in Richland Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the town of Rayville.-High Schools:*Grades 9-12**Delhi High School...
. Three campuses serve the town of Delhi - Delhi Elementary School (Grades PK-4), Delhi Middle School (Grades 5-8), Delhi High School (Grades 9-12), and Delhi Charter School (DCS) (K-12).
Notable natives and residents
- Lenny FantLenny FantLeonard O'Neil Fant, known as Lenny Fant , was from 1957–1979 the men's basketball coach of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Indians . During his tenure, Fant compiled a ULM record of 326–221. His 326-game record was topped in 1999 by one of his understudies, ULM Coach Mickael E...
, basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at the University of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeThe University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
from 1957–1979, coached at Delhi High School from 1950-1953. - Earl HollimanEarl Holliman-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
, film and television actor. - Arlene HowellArlene HowellArlene Howell , a.k.a. Eurlyne Howell, was an American television actress who held the Miss USA 1958 title.Howell became the first of three Miss Louisiana USA titleholders to win the Miss USA crown when she won the Miss USA 1958 pageant held in Long Beach, California in July 1958...
, a.k.a. Eurlyne Howell, was an American television actress who held the Miss USAMiss USAThe Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
title in 1958. - Tim McGrawTim McGrawSamuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
, country musician. - Pat "Gravy" Patterson, longtime baseball coach at Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. - Steve Pylant, sheriff of Franklin Parish and incoming 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 House of RepresentativesLouisiana House of RepresentativesThe Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
, resides in Franklin Parish near Delhi. - CharlesCharles WylyCharles Wyly Jr. was an American entrepreneur and businessman, philanthropist, civic leader, and a major contributor to Republican causes and Dallas art projects. This included $20 million to build a performing arts center in Dallas. In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1 billion...
and Sam WylySam WylySamuel "Sam" Wyly is an American entrepreneur and businessman, philanthropist, and major contributor to conservative campaigns and candidates. In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion...
, businessmen who endowed Wyly Tower of Learning at Louisiana Tech
External links
- Delhi Progress Community Progress Site for Delhi, LA
- Delhi Sweet Potato Plant Sweet Potato Plant Greeniest Biggest In The World!!(Coming Fall 2010)