Vidalia, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Vidalia is a city in and the parish seat of Concordia Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 4,543 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.32 square miles (6 km²), all of it land.
. The great Sandbar duel featuring Jim Bowie
is one of the stories still recalled by local residents.
On July 14, 1863, shortly after the fall of Vicksburg
and Port Hudson
, Louisiana, Confederate
-controlled Vidalia was invaded by two hundred mounted infantryment led by Major Asa Worden of the Fourteenth Wisconsin
. This detachment captured the rear of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith
's ordnance
train on the Trinity road, fifteen miles from the river. A large supply of muskets, cartridges, and ammunition was taken.
Vidalia High School, home of the Mighty Vikings, enjoys great athletic teams year after year. Baseball
and softball
teams have won state championships. Vidalia is the sister city to Natchez
, Mississippi
; the two are separated by the Mississippi River
.
"Vidalia onion
s" are not named for Vidalia, Louisiana, but for Vidalia
, Georgia
.
Vidalia City Hall is located at the corner of North Spruce and Carter Streets. Historic photographs are on display and available for viewing between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some of the historic photographs feature the moving of the town from the original site in 1938-1939.
Vidalia serves as the parish seat for Concordia Parish and offers availability and affordability of labor; established transportation network; state incentive program; excellent quality of life; outstanding school system; low crime rate; low property taxes; active chamber and civic organizations; many churches of all denominations and is a suburban community to historic Natchez, Mississippi
.
The longest-serving sheriff
of Concordia Parish was Eugene T. Campbell, who served from 1908 until his death in February 1940. Another long-serving sheriff was Noah W. Cross
of Ferriday, who held the position from 1944–1948 and 1952-1973. Fred L. Schiele, a Vidalia native, was sheriff from Cross' resignation until 1980.
Vidalia is home to Louisiana’s first hydroelectric power plant and the largest prefabricated power plant in the world. A total of 41 countries and 21 states joined forces for this historic endeavor, the Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station
, located in the southern portion of Concordia Parish. The office is located on Texas Street in Vidalia.
In 1976, the former West and Company Department Store in Vidalia, owned by H. O. West
of Minden
, gained national attention when six female employees filed suit claiming that they had been illegally passed up for managerial promotions even though none had ever filed written applications for such positions. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
in New Orleans
ruled that the lack of written applications is no defense for companies in such matters because the women had made verbal requests or may have feared retaliation for filing written records.
, was the home of planter Alfred Vidal Davis, Sr. It is the only remaining brick antebellum
house in the Vidalia area. Tacony is an Indian word meaning "Big Man," referring to Mr. Davis. The original portion of Tacony built about 1845 was probably used as an overseer’s house or a "camp house" because Davis, like many other wealthy landowners, lived in a luxurious mansion on the Natchez bluff. In 1860, Davis was among the richest cotton planters in the state. His land produced 3,387 cotton bales and 17,000 bushels of corn. Hal Garner, a restoration expert from Natchez, recently restored the home.
Tacony is also significant in African-American history. John R. Lynch
, Mississippi’s first black U.S. Representative and Speaker of the state House, was born a slave on Tacony Plantation in 1847. The plantation is located one-half mile (1 km) west of Vidalia on Highway 84/65 and is open by appointment to individuals and groups. One may call the Louisiana Welcome Center to arrange a tour at (318) 336-7008.
Vidalia's newest feature, the Vidalia Riverwalk consists of restaurants, a hotel, specialty shops, amphitheater, and a public boat ramp. It re-ignites the "rivertown" charm of Vidalia's past.
Concordia Parish is the northern gateway to the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area, a culturally rich natural wonder encompassing 13 parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin
. Here, the basin becomes the natural setting to experience the lives and traditions of the people of the region. The State of Louisiana and representatives from each of the thirteen impacted parishes are working to bring this project to its full potential over the next few years. A scenic byway will be part of the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area.
The Delta Museum, which is now housed in the former post office building in downtown Ferriday
, honors Mickey Gilley
, Jerry Lee Lewis
, journalist Howard K. Smith
, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart
, Hollywood socialite Ann Boyar Warner and jazz musician Pee Wee Whittaker. The museum, featuring six life-sized exhibits, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free with donations accepted. For more information, call (318) 757-4297.
Frogmore Plantation, an 1800 acres (728.4 ha) working cotton plantation with gins, slave row and 18 dependencies, contrasts a working plantation of the early 19th century with a modern cotton plantation and their slaves through an evolution from the wilderness to a thriving 1850s cotton plantation, then beyond. Frogmore Plantation is west of Natchez. It is the only tour of its kind in the south and received a Rural Tourism Award in 1999. Call (318) 757-2453 for more information.
The RiverView RV Park is a full-service resort, one mile from historic Natchez, and centrally located to all of the area lakes and waterways. The RiverView RV Park also offers a primitive camping area. Five camping areas are available and are maintained by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. One of these areas provides comfort stations and potable water, but the others are primitive. All camping areas have all-weather access.
of 2000, there were 4,543 people, 1,779 households, and 1,289 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,959.7 people per square mile (756.1/km²). There were 1,910 housing units at an average density of 823.9 per square mile (317.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.67% White, 27.07% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 1,779 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,455 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,478. About 17.8% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The parish seat is Vidalia. As of 2000, the population was 20,247. It is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Prehistory:...
, 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 4,543 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Vidalia is located at 31°34′6"N 91°26′3"W (31.568295, -91.434268) and has an elevation of 66 feet (20.1 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 town has a total area of 2.32 square miles (6 km²), all of it land.
Background
Vidalia was founded by Don Jose VidalDon José Vidal
Don José Vidal was the Spanish grandee who held many official titles during Spanish rule of the Mississippi Territory. One of the titles he held was secretary to Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, the Spanish Governor of the Natchez District from 1792-1797...
. The great Sandbar duel featuring Jim Bowie
Jim Bowie
James "Jim" Bowie , a 19th-century American pioneer, slave trader, land speculator, and soldier, played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Alamo...
is one of the stories still recalled by local residents.
On July 14, 1863, shortly after the fall 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,...
and Port Hudson
Port Hudson, Louisiana
Port Hudson is a small unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is most famous for an American Civil War battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson.-Geography:...
, Louisiana, 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...
-controlled Vidalia was invaded by two hundred mounted infantryment led by Major Asa Worden of the Fourteenth Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. This detachment captured the rear of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
's ordnance
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
train on the Trinity road, fifteen miles from the river. A large supply of muskets, cartridges, and ammunition was taken.
Vidalia High School, home of the Mighty Vikings, enjoys great athletic teams year after year. Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
teams have won state championships. Vidalia is the sister city to Natchez
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, 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...
; the two are separated by the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
"Vidalia onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s" are not named for Vidalia, Louisiana, but for Vidalia
Vidalia, Georgia
Vidalia, is a city in Toombs and very slightly into Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,491. It is the largest city in Toombs, but is not the county seat...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Vidalia City Hall is located at the corner of North Spruce and Carter Streets. Historic photographs are on display and available for viewing between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some of the historic photographs feature the moving of the town from the original site in 1938-1939.
Vidalia serves as the parish seat for Concordia Parish and offers availability and affordability of labor; established transportation network; state incentive program; excellent quality of life; outstanding school system; low crime rate; low property taxes; active chamber and civic organizations; many churches of all denominations and is a suburban community to historic Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
.
The longest-serving sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Concordia Parish was Eugene T. Campbell, who served from 1908 until his death in February 1940. Another long-serving sheriff was Noah W. Cross
Noah W. Cross
Noah Webster Cross was a controversial Democratic sheriff from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served from July 1, 1944 until July 1948 and again from July 1952 until April 4, 1973, when a conviction for perjury and a failed appeal forced him into federal prison. Cross was...
of Ferriday, who held the position from 1944–1948 and 1952-1973. Fred L. Schiele, a Vidalia native, was sheriff from Cross' resignation until 1980.
Vidalia is home to Louisiana’s first hydroelectric power plant and the largest prefabricated power plant in the world. A total of 41 countries and 21 states joined forces for this historic endeavor, the Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station
Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station
The Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station, also known as Louisiana Hydroelectric , opened in response to a need for a non-polluting, less-costly power source for Vidalia, Louisiana. A site approximately 40 miles south of the town was selected for the new facility. The 192 MW plant started...
, located in the southern portion of Concordia Parish. The office is located on Texas Street in Vidalia.
In 1976, the former West and Company Department Store in Vidalia, owned by H. O. West
H. O. West
Herman O. West, known as H. O. West , was the co-founder and later owner of a chain of thirty-three department stores in mostly north Louisiana and southern Arkansas...
of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, gained national attention when six female employees filed suit claiming that they had been illegally passed up for managerial promotions even though none had ever filed written applications for such positions. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
in 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...
ruled that the lack of written applications is no defense for companies in such matters because the women had made verbal requests or may have feared retaliation for filing written records.
Tourism
Tacony Plantation, on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, was the home of planter Alfred Vidal Davis, Sr. It is the only remaining brick antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
house in the Vidalia area. Tacony is an Indian word meaning "Big Man," referring to Mr. Davis. The original portion of Tacony built about 1845 was probably used as an overseer’s house or a "camp house" because Davis, like many other wealthy landowners, lived in a luxurious mansion on the Natchez bluff. In 1860, Davis was among the richest cotton planters in the state. His land produced 3,387 cotton bales and 17,000 bushels of corn. Hal Garner, a restoration expert from Natchez, recently restored the home.
Tacony is also significant in African-American history. John R. Lynch
John R. Lynch
John Roy Lynch was the first African-American Speaker of the House in Mississippi. He was also one of the first African-Americans elected to the U.S House of Representatives during Reconstruction, the period in United States history after the Civil War.-Biography:Lynch was born a slave near...
, Mississippi’s first black U.S. Representative and Speaker of the state House, was born a slave on Tacony Plantation in 1847. The plantation is located one-half mile (1 km) west of Vidalia on Highway 84/65 and is open by appointment to individuals and groups. One may call the Louisiana Welcome Center to arrange a tour at (318) 336-7008.
Vidalia's newest feature, the Vidalia Riverwalk consists of restaurants, a hotel, specialty shops, amphitheater, and a public boat ramp. It re-ignites the "rivertown" charm of Vidalia's past.
Concordia Parish is the northern gateway to the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area, a culturally rich natural wonder encompassing 13 parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin
Atchafalaya Basin
The Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp, is the largest swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge. The river stretches from near Simmesport in the north...
. Here, the basin becomes the natural setting to experience the lives and traditions of the people of the region. The State of Louisiana and representatives from each of the thirteen impacted parishes are working to bring this project to its full potential over the next few years. A scenic byway will be part of the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area.
The Delta Museum, which is now housed in the former post office building in downtown Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
, honors Mickey Gilley
Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley is an American country music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, journalist Howard K. Smith
Howard K. Smith
Howard Kingsbury Smith was an American journalist, radio reporter, television anchorman, political commentator, and film actor. He was one of the original Edward R. Murrow boys.-Early life:...
, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
, Hollywood socialite Ann Boyar Warner and jazz musician Pee Wee Whittaker. The museum, featuring six life-sized exhibits, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free with donations accepted. For more information, call (318) 757-4297.
Frogmore Plantation, an 1800 acres (728.4 ha) working cotton plantation with gins, slave row and 18 dependencies, contrasts a working plantation of the early 19th century with a modern cotton plantation and their slaves through an evolution from the wilderness to a thriving 1850s cotton plantation, then beyond. Frogmore Plantation is west of Natchez. It is the only tour of its kind in the south and received a Rural Tourism Award in 1999. Call (318) 757-2453 for more information.
The RiverView RV Park is a full-service resort, one mile from historic Natchez, and centrally located to all of the area lakes and waterways. The RiverView RV Park also offers a primitive camping area. Five camping areas are available and are maintained by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. One of these areas provides comfort stations and potable water, but the others are primitive. All camping areas have all-weather access.
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 4,543 people, 1,779 households, and 1,289 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 1,959.7 people per square mile (756.1/km²). There were 1,910 housing units at an average density of 823.9 per square mile (317.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.67% White, 27.07% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 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 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 1,779 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% 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, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,455 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 $14,478. About 17.8% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- City of Vidalia
- Vidalia Progress Community Progress Site for Vidalia, LA