Sulphur, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Sulphur 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
.
mines, which were excavated in the area in the 1900s. In this area, the German immigrant Herman Frasch
invented the "Frasch method" of mining sulfur, pumping hot steam into the ground, liquidizing the mineral, and pumping the liquid to the surface. This greatly facilitated sulfur mining. The elementary school on South Huntington Street in downtown Sulphur is named after Dr. Frasch.
The area was expanded with the addition of the Cities Service (Citgo
) oil refinery. The areas of Maplewood and Hollywood were developed to house refinery workers. The Sulphur area is still mostly dependent on the oil refineries and petrochemical plants for employment.
On March 27, 2010, Christopher Lee "Chris" Duncan (born ca. 1962), an insurance
agent, became the first Republican
elected mayor of Sulphur. In a turnout of 35 percent, Duncan unseated the incumbent
Democrat, Ronald M. "Ron" LeLeux (born 1955), 2,555 (54 percent) to 2,156 (46 percent).
The city lies on Interstate 10 between the towns of Vinton
and Westlake
, approximately 20 miles east of the Texas border. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 10 square miles (25.9 km²), all of it land.
Communities inside Sulphur city limits include, from west to east, old Sulphur, Hollywood, and Maplewood as well as North Sulphur also known as "Portie" (poh-chay) town by natives. Outside of city limits are the communities of Carlyss, Choupique (Shoe-peak), and Moss Lake to the south. The communities of Houston River is north of Town and Mossville is east of Town. Most new development in the city is happening south of town in Carlyss or around Interstate 10.
of 2000, there were 22,512 people, 7,901 households, and 5,601 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,043.0 people per square mile (788.8/km²). There were 8,665 housing units at an average density of 863.0 per square mile (333.2/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 4.41% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races
, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 7,901 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,247, and the median income for a family was $45,455. Males had a median income of $38,235 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,615. About 7.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Frasch Elementary, W.W. Lewis Middle, and Sulphur High School offer the Spanish Immersion classes in which students take Spanish language as well as core classes totally in Spanish from Kindergarten all the way to eight grade, and Spanish language classes up to Spanish V or VI in High School. The program has been praised by giving children a fluency in the Spanish language as well as an understanding of other cultures (most of the Immersion teachers come from Hispanic countries or are of Hispanic descent) at an early age.
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
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...
, 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 population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of 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...
, and is part of the 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...
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...
.
History
Sulphur is named for the sulfurSulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
mines, which were excavated in the area in the 1900s. In this area, the German immigrant Herman Frasch
Herman Frasch
Herman Frasch [or Hermann Frasch] was a mining engineer and inventor known for his work with petroleum and sulphur.-Biography:...
invented the "Frasch method" of mining sulfur, pumping hot steam into the ground, liquidizing the mineral, and pumping the liquid to the surface. This greatly facilitated sulfur mining. The elementary school on South Huntington Street in downtown Sulphur is named after Dr. Frasch.
The area was expanded with the addition of the Cities Service (Citgo
Citgo
CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de...
) oil refinery. The areas of Maplewood and Hollywood were developed to house refinery workers. The Sulphur area is still mostly dependent on the oil refineries and petrochemical plants for employment.
On March 27, 2010, Christopher Lee "Chris" Duncan (born ca. 1962), an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
agent, became the first Republican
Republican 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...
elected mayor of Sulphur. In a turnout of 35 percent, Duncan unseated the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Democrat, Ronald M. "Ron" LeLeux (born 1955), 2,555 (54 percent) to 2,156 (46 percent).
Geography
Sulphur is located at 30°13′49"N 93°21′39"W (30.230355, -93.360837) and has an elevation of 16 feet (4.9 m).The city lies on Interstate 10 between the towns of Vinton
Vinton, Louisiana
Vinton 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:...
and Westlake
Westlake, Louisiana
Westlake 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...
, approximately 20 miles east of the Texas border. 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 10 square miles (25.9 km²), all of it land.
Communities inside Sulphur city limits include, from west to east, old Sulphur, Hollywood, and Maplewood as well as North Sulphur also known as "Portie" (poh-chay) town by natives. Outside of city limits are the communities of Carlyss, Choupique (Shoe-peak), and Moss Lake to the south. The communities of Houston River is north of Town and Mossville is east of Town. Most new development in the city is happening south of town in Carlyss or around Interstate 10.
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 22,512 people, 7,901 households, and 5,601 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 2,043.0 people per square mile (788.8/km²). There were 8,665 housing units at an average density of 863.0 per square mile (333.2/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 93.43% White, 4.41% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.35% 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 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 7,901 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,247, and the median income for a family was $45,455. Males had a median income of $38,235 versus $22,500 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 $21,615. About 7.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Most of Sulphur's schools are under the Calcasieu Parish School Board. One high school, Sulphur High School, serves the city along with the Sulphur High Ninth Grade Campus that was completed in 2004. Elementary schools include Frasch, E.K. Key, W.T. Henning, R.W. Vincent, Maplewood D. S. Perkins, and Vincent Settlement (Carlyss). D.S. Perkins Elementary, one of the areas most struggling schools, is scheduled to close during Christmas Break 2010. All students and teachers are to be transferred to Cypress Cove, a completely new facility located in Carlyss. This would represent a move from one of the more impoverished areas of old Sulphur (North Sulphur AKA "Portie Town") to one of the wealthier, emerging communities south of town. Middle Schools include the Leblanc Middle School raiders, the W.W. Lewis Rebels, and the Maplewood Comets (Maplewood offers K-8th grade). There are some private schools in the area as well, including Our Lady's Catholic School on Cypress Street.Frasch Elementary, W.W. Lewis Middle, and Sulphur High School offer the Spanish Immersion classes in which students take Spanish language as well as core classes totally in Spanish from Kindergarten all the way to eight grade, and Spanish language classes up to Spanish V or VI in High School. The program has been praised by giving children a fluency in the Spanish language as well as an understanding of other cultures (most of the Immersion teachers come from Hispanic countries or are of Hispanic descent) at an early age.
Notable natives and residents
- Marcus R. ClarkMarcus R. ClarkMarcus R. Clark is a Republican member of the Louisiana Supreme Court from West Monroe, Louisiana, United States, who won his current position in a special election held on October 17, 2009, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Republican Justice Chet D. Traylor of Monroe, formerly of...
is a justice of the Louisiana Supreme CourtLouisiana Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
, who was born in Sulphur in 1956. - Casey DaigleCasey DaigleSean Casey Daigle is a Minor League Baseball pitcher for the Fresno Grizzlies, the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.- Arizona Diamondbacks :...
is a baseball pitcher in the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
organization and husband of softball star Jennie FinchJennie FinchJennie Lynn Finch , who occasionally uses her husband's surname Daigle, is a former American softball player who pitched for the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
. He graduated from Sulphur High School. - Grady A. DugasGrady A. DugasGrady A. Dugas, M.D. , was a Louisiana physician who invented the "Safer Automatic Wheelchair Wheel Locks", a patented device designed for those who sometimes forget to lock their wheelchairs...
, M.D.Doctor of MedicineDoctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(1923–2007), a 1941 graduate of Sulphur High School, practiced medicine for four decades in Union Parish. He invented an improved wheelchair locks/brake system. - Michael Durham, born in Sulphur, was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny GrungeJohnny GrungeMichael "Mike" Durham was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny Grunge...
. He has held the ECW and WCW tag titles with his partner, Rocco RockRocco RockTheodore James Petty was an American professional wrestler better known as "Flyboy" Rocco Rock, one half of The Public Enemy.-Career:...
, who are together known as The Public EnemyThe Public EnemyThe Public Enemy is a 1931 American Pre-Code crime film starring James Cagney and directed by William A. Wellman. The film relates the story of a young man's rise in the criminal underworld in prohibition-era urban America...
. - Rich Ellender is a professional footballProfessional footballIn the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
player He spent one season with the Houston Oilers, which drafted him in the ninth round of the 1979 NFL DraftNFL DraftThe National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. - Herman FraschHerman FraschHerman Frasch [or Hermann Frasch] was a mining engineer and inventor known for his work with petroleum and sulphur.-Biography:...
, inventor of the "Frasch Method" of mining sulphur, was head of Union Sulphur Company. Its headquarters were at the Sulphur Mines, a company town just west of present-day Sulphur. Herman Frasch Elementary School is named after him. - Chris HillChris HillChris Hill is a British disc jockey. He worked at the club Lacy Lady in Ilford, as well as at the Goldmine Canvey Island. He was the head of the 'Soul Mafia' in London and the South East of England into the early 1980s. In 1975 he released a "break-in" novelty record, in the style of Dickie...
, a native of Sulphur, was the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Javelin Champion while attending University of Georgia. He was the 2009 USA Track and Field Javelin Champion. He holds the 6th best throw by an American in history. - 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...
is an insurance agent in Sulphur who is an incoming Republican 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...
and a member of the state House from 1996 to 2008. - Claude KirkpatrickClaude KirkpatrickClaude Kirkpatrick was a diversified businessman who served two terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives , worked to establish Toledo Bend Reservoir through his directorship of the state Department of Public Works , and was the administrator and then president of Baton Rouge General Medical...
(1917–1997) lived in Sulphur in late 1930s before moving to Jennings, where he served in 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...
from 1952-1960. - Edith Killgore KirkpatrickEdith Killgore KirkpatrickEdith Aurelia Killgore Kirkpatrick is a retired music educator from Baton Rouge who served on the Louisiana Board of Regents for Higher Education from 1977—1989, the superboard which must approve education budgets presented to the state legislature. She is also a former member of the...
(b. 1918), lived in Sulphur in late 1930s before moving to Jennings. She was a member of Louisiana Board of RegentsLouisiana Board of RegentsThe Louisiana Board of Regents is a government agency in the U.S. state of Louisiana that is responsible for coordination of all public higher education in the state...
from 1978-1990. - Alvan LafargueAlvan LafargueAlvan Henry Lafargue, Sr. , was a Louisiana physician, politician, and civic leader. His medical practice exceeded fifty years...
(1883–1962), Sulphur physician and mayor from 1926–1932 - Janice LyndeJanice LyndeJanice Lynde in Houston, Texas and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is an American actress.Lynde began her professional career at ten years old, playing piano and singing solos with the Dallas Symphony. She attended college at Indiana University, studying music, and then the University of...
of Sulphur was an original cast member of the CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
, having portrayed the character Leslie Brooks. She also appeared on Another WorldAnother World (TV series)Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, One Life To LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, and most recently on HBO's Six Feet Under. - Howie Simon, a Hollywood publicist, was raised in Sulphur. He represents many stars of daytime TV, especially from Days of Our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, and has worked with Grammy-winning singer Gloria GaynorGloria GaynorGloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
, Chad Michael MurrayChad Michael MurrayChad Michael Murray is an American actor, former fashion model and spokesperson. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the commercially successful films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax...
, Chris Tucker, Tommy Davidson, Susan Ward, and Nadia BjorlinNadia BjorlinNadia Alexandra Bjorlin born August 2, 1980, is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Björlin was born in Newport, Rhode Island but lived in Sweden until the age of 7. Her father was the Swedish composer and conductor Ulf Björlin .. Her mother, Fary, is a Persian interior decorator from...
.