New Roads, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
New Roads is a city in and the parish seat of Pointe Coupee Parish
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and , 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....

, 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...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The center of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...

 of Louisiana is located in New Roads http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt. The population was 4,996 at the 2000 census. The city's ZIP code is 70760. It is part of the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Baton Rouge metropolitan area
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a sprawling area consisting of nine parishes in Louisiana, anchored by the city of Baton Rouge...

.

History

Le Poste de Pointe Coupée (“The Pointe Coupee Post”) is one of the oldest communities in the Mississippi Valley. The post was founded in the 1720s by settlers from 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...

. The post was located upstream from the point crossed by the explorers, immediately above but not circled by False River. The name was linked to the area along the Mississippi northeast of what is now New Roads. The post was settled by French coming from France and French Creoles as well as Africans coming from the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique and Santo Domingo, the west part of Hispaniola -Saint Domingue in French), later by French coming from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 (like the family Provost) via Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres
Fort de Chartres was a French fortification first built in 1720 on the east bank of the Mississippi River in present-day Illinois. The Fort de Chartres name was also applied to the two successive fortifications built nearby during the 18th century in the era of French colonial control over...

, Illinois.

In 1768-1769, fifteen French families (among others, the families Provost and Nezat, Pierre Nezat coming from Layrac
Layrac
Layrac is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Lot-et-Garonne department...

, France) left the Pointe Coupee Post and settled in the Attakapas Post (today St Martinville, LA). The post was later settled by African-Americans, Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...

 and Italians.

About 1776, a Chemin Neuf, French for "New Road", was built connecting the Mississippi River with False River
False River (Louisiana)
False River is an oxbow lake located in southeastern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana centered at This lake was once the main channel of the Mississippi River in this area...

, a 22 miles (35.4 km) long oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...

 and formerly the main channel of the Mississippi. The post became New Roads. In 1822, streets were opened and lots created at the False River terminus of the new road.
Since its founding, New Roads has been the hub of an agricultural community, focused on the production of sugar cane, cotton, pecans and other crops. Today, the economy is enhanced by industries, retail establishments, restaurants and lodging enterprises, five banks and modern health care and nursing facilities.

On January 31, 1865, toward the end of the American Civil War
American 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...

, five squadrons of Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

 cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

 marched into New Roads in a blinding rainstorm. Here five Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 officers under the command of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

 John S. Scott were discovered hiding in closets, under houses, and in a hole. Scott, who operated around Morganza, obtained many of his supplies from the Union forces in control of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

, who exchanged food, clothing, and other necessities for cotton smuggled by Scott's men.

Commandants of Pointe Coupee (1729-1762)

  • 1729: Chevalier Henri du Loubois
  • 1734-38: Claude Joseph de Favrot
  • 1738-1742: Jean Louis Richard de la Houssaye
  • 1742-1744: Claude Joseph de Favrot
  • 1744-1753: Jean Joseph Delfau de Pontalba
  • 1753: Chevalier Morliere
  • 1753-1756: Francois Artaud
  • 1756-1759: Pierre Benoist, Sieur Payen de Noyan de Chavoy
  • 1759-1762: Jean Louis Richard de la Houssaye

Notable people

From 1949 until his death in 1981, New Roads was the home of Emmitt Douglas
Emmitt Douglas
Emmitt James Douglas was an African-American businessman from New Roads, Louisiana, who served as president of his state's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1966 until his death....

, who served as president of the Louisiana NAACP from 1966-1981.

Julien de Lallande Poydras
Julien de Lallande Poydras
Julien de Lallande Poydras was a French-American politician who served as Delegate from the Territory of Orleans to the United States House of Representatives....

, a merchant, planter, poet, statesman, banker, and philanthropist helped to establish the state's first public schools in Pointe Coupee Parish in the early 19th century. He likewise endowed a trust fund to provide impoverished brides with dowries in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge Parishes. Visitors will find his grave on the grounds of the old Poydras School on Main Street in New Roads, now a museum and cultural center established by the Pointe Coupee Historical Society.

James Ryder Randall
James Ryder Randall
James Ryder Randall was an American journalist and poet. He is best remembered as the author of "Maryland, My Maryland".-Biography:Randall was born on January 1, 1839 in Baltimore, Maryland....

, an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 who wrote the poem "Maryland, My Maryland
Maryland, My Maryland
"Maryland, My Maryland" is the official state song of the U.S. state of Maryland. The song is set to the tune of "Lauriger Horatius" and the lyrics are from a nine-stanza poem written by James Ryder Randall...

" in April 1861, at nearby Poydras College
Poydras High School
Poydras High School was a school located on Louisiana Highway 1 in the city of New Roads, Louisiana, United States.The school came into existence, in the early 19th century, in the form of several public schools in the parish known as "Poydras Schools"...

 on False River. The poem was later put to music. The site is still known as Randall Oak, though the school was destroyed by fire in 1881. The poem is now Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

's official state song.

Lieutenant General John Archer LeJeune
John A. Lejeune
Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, was the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Known as the "greatest of all Leathernecks" and the "Marine's Marine", he served for nearly 40 years. His service included commanding the U.S...

 of the United States Marines.

Ernest J. Gaines
Ernest Gaines
Ernest James Gaines is an African-American author. His works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese. Four of his works have been made into television movies.His 1993 novel, A Lesson Before Dying, won the...

, African fiction writer, writer-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...

;

U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, known as Lindy Boggs
Lindy Boggs
Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, usually known as Lindy Boggs , is a United States political figure who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as ambassador to the Vatican. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana...

;

Former New Orleans Mayor DeLesseps Story Morrison and his half-brother Jacob Haight Morrison
Jacob Haight Morrison
Jacob Haight Morrison IV , was a 20th century New Orleans, Louisiana, attorney, preservationist, and author. He was the half-brother of former Mayor deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr. , and the half-uncle of deLesseps Story "Toni" Morrison, Jr...

 were born in New Roads.

Modern attractions

New Roads hosts the oldest Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...

 celebration in Louisiana outside New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 each Shrove Tuesday. The town's first recorded Mardi Gras ball was staged in 1881 and its first-known parade rolled in 1897. Today, as many as 80,000 people converge on the hospitable Creole town for family-friendly parades. Unlike the exclusivity of krewe parades in New Orleans and elsewhere, New Roads' parades are civic events, open to public participation. The Community Center Carnival parade, founded in 1922 and the state's oldest outside New Orleans, rolls at 11 a.m. The New Roads Lions Carnival parade, founded in 1941 and which is staged as a charitable fundraiser, rolls at 1:30 p.m. Each consists of as many as 30 floats built and manned by local schools, churches, clubs, businesses and families, as well as eight-ten marching bands and drill units.

New Roads' narrow, tree-lined streets include outstanding examples of 19th century Creole and Victorian architecture. Particularly Main Street, Poydras Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and North Carolina Avenue. Tourist attractions include Satterfield's Riverwalk and Restaurant, the Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse and Gen. John Archer LeJeune Monument, St. Mary's Catholic Church and Cemetery, the Julien Poydras Monument and Museum (old Poydras High School
Poydras High School
Poydras High School was a school located on Louisiana Highway 1 in the city of New Roads, Louisiana, United States.The school came into existence, in the early 19th century, in the form of several public schools in the parish known as "Poydras Schools"...

, Morrison Parkway located next to False River, numerous fine dining and shopping opportunities as well as beautiful views and boating on False River.

Many historical Creole plantation homes dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries line False River
False River (Louisiana)
False River is an oxbow lake located in southeastern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana centered at This lake was once the main channel of the Mississippi River in this area...

, including Parlange, River Lake, North Bend, Mon Coeur, Austerlitz, Pleasant View
Pleasant View
Pleasant View may refer to:United States* Pleasant View, Colorado* Pleasant View, Maryland, a settlement near Point of Rocks, Maryland* Pleasant View, Tennessee* Pleasant View, Utah** Pleasant View , a transit station...

, among others.

Over the last decade, new upscale subdivisions and retail establishments have been built along False River Drive between the area known as "Millionaire Row" near Oscar, Louisiana and New Roads.

The city is home to Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee
Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee
Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee is a Catholic Interparochial school in New Roads, Louisiana. It was founded in 1904 by the Sisters of St. Joseph who were commissioned to bring Catholic education to Pointe Coupee Parish.-History:...

, Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee and False River Academy
False River Academy
False River Academy is a private school located in New Roads, Louisiana. It was founded in 1969, and is one of two private schools located in Pointe Coupee Parish.-History:...

. There are also two former high schools located in New Roads: Poydras High School
Poydras High School
Poydras High School was a school located on Louisiana Highway 1 in the city of New Roads, Louisiana, United States.The school came into existence, in the early 19th century, in the form of several public schools in the parish known as "Poydras Schools"...

 and Rosenwald High School (formerly New Roads High School).

Geography

New Roads is located at 30°41′47"N 91°26′20"W (30.696305, -91.438980) and has an elevation of 30 feet (9.1 m).

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 city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.8 km²), all of it land.

Gradually sloping from a high of 36 feet (11 m) above sea level on Main Street immediately adjacent to False River to a low of 25 feet (7.6 m) along Portage Canal in the north, the city lies on a Mississippi River flood-plain but has never flooded to any great extent since 1912. Levee breaks or "crevasses" on the Mississippi River to the north and east overbanked False River and submerged all of New Roads in 1867, 1882 and 1884. The 1882 flood was the most severe, with four feet on water standing in Main Street during the height of the crises. During the floods of 1912 and 1927, however, the southern portion of the town, including the main business district, remained dry, as the flood waters to the north and east were held back by the Texas & Pacific Railroad embankment.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 4,966 people, 1,818 households, and 1,243 families residing in the city. 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 1,091.8 people per square mile (421.4/km²). There were 2,044 housing units at an average density of 449.4 per square mile (173.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.99% White, 59.32% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.16% 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 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 1,818 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% 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, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% 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 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,583, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $32,679 versus $20,547 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 city was $14,840. About 23.6% of families and 30.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.3% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In 1978 Trina Olinde Scott became New Roads' first female mayor. She was followed by Sylvester Muckelroy, the first African-American mayor. The current mayor is Robert Myer.

Further reading

  • The Nezat and Allied Families 1630-2007 Lulu 2007 ISBN 978-2-9528339-2-9, ISBN 978-0-615-15001-7 Jack Claude Nezat

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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