Thibodaux, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Thibodaux is a small city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lafourche Parish is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The parish seat is Thibodaux...

, 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...

, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche
Bayou Lafourche
Bayou Lafourche, originally called Chetimachas River, is a bayou in southeastern Louisiana, United States, that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The first settlements of Acadians in southern Louisiana were near Bayou Lafourche and Bayou des Écores, which led to a close association of the bayou with...

 in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...

Bayou Cane
Bayou Cane, Louisiana
Bayou Cane is a census-designated place in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 17,046 at the 2000 census.Bayou Cane is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Terrebonne and Lafourche...

–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Area
The Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana that covers two parishes - Lafourche and Terrebonne...

.

ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

s for Thibodaux are 70301, 70302, and 70310. Thibodaux's area code is 985. Thibodaux is nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

d "Queen City of Lafourche."

History

The community was settled in the 18th century. It was incorporated as a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in 1838 under the name Thibodauxville, in honor of local plantation owner Henry Schuyler Thibodaux, who provided land for the village and served as acting governor of Louisiana in 1824. The name was changed to Thibodeaux in 1838, and the current spelling Thibodaux was officially adopted in 1918.

Civil War

In October 1862, following the Battle of Georgia Landing
Battle of Georgia Landing
The Battle of Georgia Landing was fought October 27, 1862, in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, as part of the Operations in LaFourche District , during the American Civil War.-Background: Maj. Gen. Benjamin F...

 (Labadieville), Thibodaux was occupied by the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 under Godfrey Weitzel. Before they left the city, the Confederates
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...

 under General Alfred Mouton
Alfred Mouton
Jean-Jacques-Alfred-Alexandre "Alfred" Mouton was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, and spent most of his life in Lafayette. Beloved by those under his command, Mouton was a strict drillmaster and disciplinarian who simultaneously freely...

, later killed in the Battle of Mansfield
Battle of Mansfield
The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, occurred on April 8, 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Confederate forces commanded by Richard Taylor attacked a Union army commanded by Nathaniel Banks a few miles outside the town of Mansfield, near Sabine Crossroads...

 in De Soto Parish
De Soto Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

, burned the depot, the bridges, sugar, and supplies that they could not otherwise carry with them. In 1863, the Union under James P. Major temporarily abandoned Thibodaux but soon returned. Winters reports that "terrified Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...

es and whites raced into the town announcing that 3,000 Confederate cavalrymen were en route to attack Thibodaux and Lafourche Crossing. [Union] Colonel [Thomas W.] Cahill ordered an immediate retreat. The bayou bridges were burned, three field guns were destroyed, and as many of the men and the horses as possible were loaded . . . and ordered to Raceland
Raceland, Louisiana
Raceland is a census-designated place on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,224 at the 2000 census...

. . . . Ammunition was destroyed, horses abandoned, and four field pieces were left behind.

Planters about Thibodaux had difficulty obtaining labor contracts for Negro
Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...

 workers once the area was under Union control. Alexander F. Pugh, a large sugar planter near Thibodaux, complained that the "Negroes and federal officers took up too much time in negotiating new labor contracts. Part of the delay was occasioned by the fact that the Negroes were dissatisfied with the settlements from the past year, and additional delays were brought about because of changes in labor rules and regulations. Pugh wrote in his diary: "I have agreed with the Negroes today to pay them monthly wages. It was very distasteful to me, but I could do no better. Everybody else in the neighborhood has agreed to pay the same, and mine [laborers] would listen to nothing else."

Thibodaux Massacre

see main article Thibodaux massacre
Thibodaux massacre
The Thibodaux Massacre was a violent labor dispute and racial attack in Thibodaux, Louisiana in November 1887. Although the number of casualties is unknown, at least 35 and as many as three hundred workers were killed, making it one of the most violent labor disputes in U.S. history...



A sugar cane workers' strike culminated in the "Thibodaux Massacre" of November 22, 1887, one of the bloodiest labor disputes in U.S. history. The strike for higher wages of 10,000 workers (1,000 of whom were white) was organized by the Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence Powderly...

 during rolling period. This was critical to the sugar cane harvest. Planters were alarmed both by outside organizations and the thought of losing their total crops. The governor called in the State militia at the planters' request. Efforts to break the strike resulted in the deaths of at least 35, and perhaps hundreds, of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 workers at the hands of white paramilitary members.

In 1896, the first rural free delivery of mail in Louisiana began in Thibodaux. It was the second in the United States.

Geography

Thibodaux is located at 29°47′32"N 90°49′12"W (29.7922, -90.8200) and has an elevation of 13 feet (4 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 5.47 square miles (14.2 km²), all land.

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 14,431 people, 5,500 households, and 3,355 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 2,636.8 people per square mile (1,018.6/km²). There were 6,004 housing units at an average density of 1,097.0 per square mile (423.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.04% White, 33.76% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% 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 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

There were 5,500 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% 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, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,697, and the median income for a family was $36,551. Males had a median income of $31,464 versus $21,144 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 $16,966. About 20.6% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.3% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the Lafourche Parish Public Schools
Lafourche Parish Public Schools
Lafourche Parish Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Thibodaux, Louisiana.The district serves all of Lafourche Parish.-School uniforms:Students are required to wear school uniforms .-High schools:...

 http://lafourche.k12.la.us/.

Zoned elementary schools include:
W.S. Lafargue Elementary School

Zoned middle schools include:
Sixth Ward Middle School

Thibodaux residents are zoned to Thibodaux High School
Thibodaux High School
Thibodaux High School is a public high school serving students in grades 9–12 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA about 75 miles southwest of New Orleans. It is one of three high schools in the Lafourche Parish Public Schools district...

.

Catholic schools include
  • Edward Douglas White Catholic High School
    Edward Douglas White Catholic High School
    Edward Douglas White Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic junior and senior high school in Thibodaux, Louisiana in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux...

  • St. Genevieve Catholic Elementary
  • St. Joseph Catholic Elementary


Colleges:
  • Nicholls State University
    Nicholls State University
    Nicholls State University, founded in 1948, is a public university located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA. Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System of universities. Originally called Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the institution split from the Louisiana State University System in...

    .

Culture

The Roman Catholic patron saints of Thibodaux are Saint Valérie
Valeria of Milan
Saint Valeria of Milan , or Saint Valérie, according to Christian tradition, was the wife of Vitalis of Milan, and the mother of Saint Gervase and Saint Protase, although other traditions make her a virgin martyr rather than a wife and mother.She was martyred for burying Christian martyrs, and then...

, an early Christian martyr, and Saint Vitalis of Milan, her husband, also a martyr. A life-sized reliquary of Saint Valérie, containing an arm bone, was brought to Thibodaux in 1868 and is displayed in her shrine in St. Joseph Co-Cathedral
St. Joseph Co-Cathedral (Thibodaux, Louisiana)
St. Joseph Co-Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. Along with the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma it is the seat of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Saint Joseph's Co-Cathedral and...

 in Thibodaux. A smaller reliquary, with a relic of St. Vitalis, is displayed near St. Valérie's reliquary. St. Valérie has traditionally been invoked for intercession in protecting Thibodaux from hurricanes.

The family name "Thibodaux" is mentioned in Hank Williams's "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)", in the 1970s Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...

 song "Amos Moses
Amos Moses
Amos Moses is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in October 1970 as the fourth and final single from the album, Georgia Sunshine. This record was Reed's highest-charted single on Billboard Hot 100, peaking No. 8...

," in the 1990s George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

 song "Adalida," in Dan Baird's 1992 song "Dixie Beauxderaunt," the 1999 Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...

 song "I will Play for Gumbo," the 2008 Toby Keith song "Creole Woman," and its name is the title of a song by jazz songstress Marcia Ball
Marcia Ball
Marcia Ball is an American blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas but who grew up in Vinton, Louisiana. She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist.....

.

Richard D'Alton Williams
Richard D'Alton Williams
Richard D'Alton Williams was an Irish physician and poet, "Shamrock" of the Nation.-Life:He was born in Dublin, son of Count D'Alton and Mary Williams. He was educated at Tullabeg Jesuit College and St. Patrick's College, Carlow.He came to Dublin in 1843 to study medicine. He started contributing...

, a well-known 19th-century Irish patriot, poet, and physician, died of tuberculosis in Thibodaux in 1862, and is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. His headstone was later erected that year by Irish members of the 8th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment, then encamped in Thibodaux. A famous Mississippi blues musician, Eddie "Guitar Slim
Guitar Slim
Eddie Jones , better known as Guitar Slim, was a New Orleans blues guitarist, from the 1940s and 1950s, best known for the million-selling song, produced by Johnny Vincent at Specialty Records, "The Things That I Used to Do"...

" Jones, is buried in Thibodaux, where he often played, and where his manager, Hosea Hill, resided.

News and media

The local newspaper is The Daily Comet
The Daily Comet
The Daily Comet is a newspaper in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. It covers Lafourche, Assumption, the west bank of St. James and the northern part of Terrebonne parishes....

. It was founded in 1889 as Lafourche Comet. It has been owned by The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is an American media company best known as the publisher of its namesake, The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1997. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....

 since 1980.

Notable natives

  • Edward Douglass White
    Edward Douglass White
    Edward Douglass White, Jr. , American politician and jurist, was a United States senator, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and the ninth Chief Justice of the United States. He was best known for formulating the Rule of Reason standard of antitrust law. He also sided with the...

    , Chief Justice of the United States.
  • Edward Douglass White Sr.
    Edward Douglass White Sr.
    Edward Douglass White, Sr. was the tenth Governor of Louisiana and a member of the United States House of Representatives. He served five nonconsecutive terms in Congress as an adherent of Henry Clay of Kentucky and the Whig Party.White was born in Maury County, Tennessee, the illegitimate son of...

    , Governor of Louisiana.
  • Theodore Ward
    Theodore Ward
    Theodore Ward was a leading African-American playwright of the first half of the 20th century.-Biography:Ward was the sixth out of eleven children. A prolific writer, Ward wrote over thirty plays...

    , noted African-American playwright.
  • Eric Andolsek
    Eric Andolsek
    Eric Thomas Andolsek was an offensive lineman with college football's LSU Tigers and the NFL's Detroit Lions, who died in a freak accident at the age of 25.-College career:...

    , player for Detroit Lions
    Detroit Lions
    The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

    ; died from a motor vehicle accident.
  • Jarvis Green
    Jarvis Green
    Jarvis Green is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

    , defensive end for the Denver Broncos
    Denver Broncos
    The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    .
  • Graham Patrick Martin
    Graham Patrick Martin
    Graham Patrick Martin is an American film and television actor. He played the older son of Bill Engvall in the comedy The Bill Engvall Show, which played from 2007-2009. He played Willie Chandler, Jr., in Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door and also appeared in an episode of Law and Order:...

    , Television Actor, Two and a Half Men
    Two and a Half Men
    Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

    , iCarly
    ICarly
    iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...

    , Jonas
    Jonas
    - Jonah name :* Jonah Metropolitan of Moscow , also known as Saint Jonas* Jonah, Old Testament prophet-Places:* Jonas , a hamlet in the municipalities Epe and Apeldoorn in the Netherlands* Jonas, Pennsylvania- Other :...

    , The Bill Engvall Show
    The Bill Engvall Show
    The Bill Engvall Show is a sitcom which ran on TBS from July 17, 2007 to September 5, 2009. The series starred comedian Bill Engvall and was written and created by Engvall and Michael Leeson...

     ; Movie Actor, Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, Rising Stars
    Rising Stars
    Rising Stars is a 24-issue comic book limited series by J. Michael Straczynski about 113 people born with special abilities following the appearance of a mysterious light in the sky above Pederson, Illinois. The series explores how society may react to the advent of superpowers, and how those who...

    .
  • Gregory K. Stock, medical services executive well known throughout the mid-west.
  • John Robichaux
    John Robichaux
    John Robichaux, sometimes Robechaux , was an American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist. He was the uncle of Joseph Robichaux....

    , jazz musician.
  • Kody Chamberlain
    Kody Chamberlain
    Kody Chamberlain is an American comic book artist. He was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana and relocated to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1993.-Biography:...

    , comic book writer and artist.
  • Mark Davis, professional basketball player.
  • Ronald Joseph Dominique, American serial killer from the Bayou Blue area of Houma, Louisiana located 15 miles from Thibodaux.
  • Damian Johnson
    Damian Johnson (basketball)
    Damian Johnson was an American college basketball player who played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He graduated after the 2009-10 basketball season.-High school career:...

    , player for the Minnesota Golden Gophers
    Minnesota Golden Gophers
    The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...

     men's basketball team.
  • Alan Faneca
    Alan Faneca
    Alan Joseph Faneca, Jr. is a former American football guard in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 26th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft and played college football for Louisiana State....

    , 9 time Pro-Bowler, retired American Football Offensive Linesmen, whom played for the Arizona Cardinals
    Arizona Cardinals
    The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won his Super Bowl Ring
  • Trovon Reed player for the Auburn Tigers
    Auburn Tigers
    Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...

     football team.
  • Brent Bonvillain player for the LSU Tigers
    LSU Tigers
    The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...

     baseball team.
  • Chase Clement
    Chase Clement
    Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...

     player for the LSU Tigers
    LSU Tigers
    The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...

     Footballl team.

Government

The mayor of Thibodaux is Tommy Eschete. The city council is arranged in five districts lettered A-E, as well as two At-Large members. Thibodaux is in Parish Council Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4. In the Louisiana Legislature, Thibodaux is represented by Rep. Jerome Richard (I-Thibodaux) and Sen. Joel Chaisson
Joel Chaisson
Joel Thomas Chaisson, II , is an American Democratic politician who is the outgoing president of the Louisiana State Senate. He assumed the leadership position on January 14, 2008. A resident of Destrehan, Chaisson has represented Senate District 19 in St. Charles Parish since 2000...

 (D-Destrehan). In the United States Congress, it is represented by Rep. Jeff Landry
Jeff Landry
Jeffrey Martin "Jeff" Landry is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and military service:...

 (R-New Iberia), Sen. 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...

 (D-New Orleans) and Sen. David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...

(R-Metairie).

External links

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