Evangeline Parish, Louisiana

Infobox U.S. County
county = Evangeline Parish
state = Louisiana




founded year = 1910
founded date =
seat wl = Ville Platte
largest city wl = Ville Platte
area_total_sq_mi = 680
area_total_km2 = 1760
area_land_sq_mi = 665
area_land_km2 = 1720
area_water_sq_mi = 15
area_water_km2 = 40
area percentage = 2.26%
census yr = 2000
pop = 35434
density_sq_mi = 53
density_km2 = 21
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset = -5
footnotes =
web =
named for = Acadian heroine of the poem "Evangeline"

Evangeline Parish (French: "Paroisse d'Évangéline") is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ville Platte. As of 2000, the parish's population was 35,434.

History

The parish was created out of lands formerly belonging to St. Landry Parish in 1910. The area was originally settled by French, German, Spanish and Scots-Irish people. The majority were French, former soldiers from Fort Toulouse, and generations born there were originally called Creoles. The major families were Fontenot, LaToure, Guillory, Lafleur, and Brignac. The Creoles developed a culture that was a mixture of all the ethnic groups living in the area. A few Acadians settled the area, but outsiders mistakenly labeled all the white French people as Cajuns.

The parish was named "Evangeline" in honor of the Acadian people who lived further south; their history had been commemorated in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem, "Evangeline". Evangeline Parish was immortalized in the Randy Newman song "Louisiana, 1927", in which he described the Great Mississippi Flood which covered it with six feet of water.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 680 square miles (1,760 km²), of which 15 square miles (40 km²) of it (2.26%) is water.

Major highways

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Adjacent parishes

*Rapides Parish (north)
*Avoyelles Parish (northeast)
*St. Landry Parish (east)
*Acadia Parish (south)
*Allen Parish (west)

National protected area

* Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

USCensusPop
title=
1790=
1800=
1810=
1820=
1830=
1840=
1850=
1860=
1870=
1880=
1890=
1900=
1910=
1920= 23485
1930= 25483
1940= 30497
1950= 31629
1960= 31639
1970= 31932
1980= 33343
1990= 33274
2000= 35434
estimate= 35911
estyear= 2006
estref= [cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22039.html|title=Evangeline Parish Quickfacts|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-02-02]
footnote=Evangeline 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 35,434 people, 12,736 households, and 9,157 families residing in the parish. The population density was 53 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 14,258 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 70.42% White, 28.57% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.71% reported speaking French or Cajun French at home. [http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=39&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=all&a=&ea=&order=r]

There were 12,736 households out of which 38.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the parish the population was spread out with 29.60% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $20,532, and the median income for a family was $27,243. Males had a median income of $30,386 versus $16,793 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $11,432. About 27.20% of families and 32.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.10% of those under age 18 and 31.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

*Basile
*Chataignier
*Mamou
*Pine Prairie
*Bayou Chicot
*Turkey Creek
*Ville Platte
*Lone Pine
*Saint Landry

Education

Public schools in Evangeline Parish are operated by the Evangeline Parish School Board.

Notable natives and residents

* Clint West (Clinton Guillory) was raised in L'anse Grise (Easton area - Gray Point) and became one of the pioneers of Swamp Pop music. Popular songs include, "Big Blue Diamonds" and "Please Mr. Jeweler." He was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame twice.

ources

* Title: The Cajunization of French Louisiana: Forging a regional identity. Authors: Trepanier, Cecyle Source: "Geographical Journal"; Jul 91, Vol. 157 Issue 2, p161, 11p, 2 charts, 10 maps
* French, Cajun, Creole, Houma : a primer on francophone Louisiana / Carl A. Brasseaux.
* http://www.geocities.com/old_time_time/many.htm
* "A history of Evangeline : its land, its men and its women who made it a beautiful place to live", Robert Gahn, Sr. ; edited by Revon John Reed, Sr. Baton Rouge, LA : Claitor's, c 1972
* "La voix des prairies", Evangeline Genealogical and Historical Society.
* Bonnes nouvelles : good news about people, places and things in Evangeline Parish. Ville Platte, La. : Bonnes Nouvelles, 1993-
* "Fort Toulouse : The French Outpost at the Alabamas on the Coosa", Gregory A. Thomas

ee also

References

External links

* [http://www.epsb.com Evangeline Parish School Board]
* [http://www.evangelinetourism.com Evangeline Parish Tourism Commission]
* [http://www.vpla.com/ City of Ville Platte]
* [http://www.evangeline.lib.la.us/ Evangeline Parish Library]
* [http://www.geocities.com/old_time_time/pascalindex.htm Pascal Fuselier's articles]
* [http://www.louisianatournoi.com/ Tournoi]