West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

Infobox U.S. County
county = West Feliciana Parish
state = Louisiana




founded year = 1824
founded date =
seat wl = St. Francisville
largest city wl = St. Francisville
area_total_sq_mi = 426
area_total_km2 = 1103
area_land_sq_mi = 406
area_land_km2 = 1052
area_water_sq_mi = 20
area_water_km2 =52
area percentage = 4.70%
census yr = 2000
pop = 15111
density_sq_mi = 37
density_km2 = 14
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset = -5
footnotes =
web =
named for = Felicite de Gálvez

West Feliciana Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Francisville and as of 2000, the population is 15,111. The Louisiana State Penitentiary is located in West Feliciana Parish in Angola.

West Feliciana Parish is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area.

History

West Feliciana was part of Feliciana Parish which was founded in 1810 and was divided in 1824 into East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish.The parish was formed in 1824. West Feliciana is historically Democratic in voter preference, and it was the only Louisiana parish in 1972 to support the Democratic national ticket of George McGovern and Sargent Shriver. However, the Republican presidential ticket of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney won the parish in 2004, 2,932 (56 percent) to 2,214 (42 percent) for the Democrats John F. Kerry and John Edwards. Bush and Cheney also won in West Feliciana in 2000, 2,512 (52 percent) to 2,187 (45 percent) for the Democratic ticket of then Vice President Albert Arnold Gore, Jr., and U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 1,103km² (426sq mi). 406 square miles (1,052 km²) of it is land and 20 square miles (52 km²) of it (4.70%) is water.

Major highways

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Adjacent parishes

*Wilkinson County, Mississippi (north)
*East Feliciana Parish (east)
*West Baton Rouge Parish (south)
*Pointe Coupee Parish (southwest)
*Avoyelles Parish & Concordia Parish (northwest)

National protected area

* Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

USCensusPop
title=
1790=
1800=
1810=
1820=
1830=
1840=
1850=
1860=
1870=
1880=
1890=
1900= 15994
1910= 13449
1920= 12303
1930= 10924
1940= 11720
1950= 10169
1960= 12395
1970= 11376
1980= 12186
1990= 12915
2000= 15111
estimate= 15535
estyear= 2006
estref= [cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22125.html|title=West Feliciana Parish Quickfacts|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-02-02]
footnote=West Feliciana Parish Census Data [cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt|title=Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-02-02] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 15,111 people, 3,645 households, and 2,704 families residing in the parish. The population density was 37 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 4,485 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 48.63% White, 50.51% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,645 households out of which 38.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the parish the population was spread out with 20.30% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 40.00% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 191.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 223.60 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $39,667, and the median income for a family was $47,239. Males had a median income of $35,046 versus $21,922 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $16,201. About 15.00% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.30% of those under age 18 and 23.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

St. Francisville is the sole incorporated city. Wakefield is an unincorporated community.

Education

West Feliciana Parish Public Schools serves the parish.

West Feliciana is home to one of Louisiana's best public school systems. The school system consistently scores among the top five districts in the state on standardized tests, and schools in the parish are growing at a rapid rate as parents seek to escape troubled school districts in neighboring East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes.

Notable natives and residents

* John Richard Rarick, an attorney who practices in St. Francisville.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.stfrancisville.com/ St. Francisville and West Feliciana Parish Website]
* [http://www.stfrancisville.us/ St. Francisville and West Feliciana Tourism Commission]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/louisiana/ Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]