- Concordia Parish, Louisiana
-
Concordia Parish, Louisiana 
Location in the state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.Founded 1807 Named for Possibly a land Grant, New Concordia Seat Vidalia Largest city Vidalia Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
749 sq mi (1,939 km²)
696 sq mi (1,802 km²)
53 sq mi (137 km²), 7.05%Population
- (2000)
- Density
20,247
29/sq mi (11/km²)Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Concordia Parish (French: Paroisse de Concordia) 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.
Contents
History
Prehistory
Frogmore Mound Site on US84 near Ferriday
Main article: History of Louisiana#PrehistoryConcordia Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before European settlements began. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and mound sites throughout the area. Notable examples include Cypress Grove Mound, DePrato Mounds, Frogmore Mound Site and Lamarque Landing Mound.
Historic era
Concordia was named for a Latin word meaning "harmony".
During the American Civil War, Concordia Parish was staunchly Confederate. According to the historian John D. Winters in his The Civil War in Louisiana (1863), Concordia, "a planter-dominated parish, displayed unusual Confederate patriotism in early March [1862]. A handsome bounty of $100 was offered to any man who joined one of three designated companies forming for the duration of the war. A bounty of $50 would be paid to those joining either of two companies being raised in the neighboring parish of Catahoula. A $50,000 bond issue was voted to finance the bounty program. . . . $40,000 was appropriated for the relief of needy families of volunteers in the parish."[1]
The plantations of Concordia Parish were impacted by the "red tape" involved in hiring Negro laborers once the Union had liberated an area. Both lessees and private owners found the labor regulations onerous to implement.[2]
Law and government
The current sheriff is Democrat Randy Maxwell, who has served since August 31, 1990.[3]In June 2011, Maxwell announced his retirement effective in 2012.
Although the parish trends Democratic, in the 2008 presidential election, the Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois received 3,766 votes (39.5 percent) in Concordia Parish to 5,668 (59.5 percent) for the Republican nominee, John S. McCain of Arizona.[4] In 2004, Concordia Parish cast 5,427 votes (60 percent) for President George W. Bush and 3,446 ballots (38 percent) for his Democratic rival, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts. Local officials are almost entirely Democratic in affiliation, and Republicans rarely contest such elections.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 749 square miles (1,939.9 km2), of which 696 square miles (1,802.6 km2) is land and 53 square miles (137.3 km2) (7.05%) is water.
The parish is completely agricultural bottomlands. The Ouachita River runs along the west boundary, the Red River along the south, and the Mississippi River along the east. All three rivers are contained by large levee systems.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 65
U.S. Highway 84
Louisiana Highway 15
Adjacent parishes
- Tensas Parish (north)
- Adams County, Mississippi (northeast)
- Wilkinson County, Mississippi (east)
- West Feliciana Parish (southeast)
- Pointe Coupee Parish (south)
- Avoyelles Parish (southwest)
- Catahoula Parish (west)
Tensas Parish Adams County, Mississippi Catahoula Parish 
Wilkinson County, Mississippi 
Concordia Parish, Louisiana 
Avoyelles Parish Pointe Coupee Parish West Feliciana Parish National protected area
Demographics
Census Pop. %± 1900 13,559 — 1910 14,278 5.3% 1920 12,466 −12.7% 1930 12,778 2.5% 1940 14,562 14.0% 1950 14,398 −1.1% 1960 20,467 42.2% 1970 22,578 10.3% 1980 22,981 1.8% 1990 20,828 −9.4% 2000 20,247 −2.8% 2010 20,822 2.8% Concordia Parish Census Data[5] As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 20,247 people, 7,521 households, and 5,430 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 9,148 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 60.75% White, 37.72% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 1.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,521 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 19.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $22,742, and the median income for a family was $28,629. Males had a median income of $27,453 versus $18,678 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $11,966. About 24.30% of families and 29.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.00% of those under age 18 and 20.60% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities and towns
Map of Concordia Parish, Louisiana With Municipal LabelsCensus-designated places
Unincorporated places
Education
Concordia Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.
Notable natives and residents
- Al Ater, State representative (1984–1988) and secretary of state (2005–2006)
- James H. "Jim" Brown, State senator (1972–1980, Louisiana secretary of state (1980–1988), and insurance commissioner (1992–2000)
- Campbell Brown, Emmy-award winning journalist, CNN Anchor/Show Host and daughter of former Louisiana State Insurance Commissioner and Secretary of State Jim Brown
- Noah W. Cross, Concordia Parish sheriff
- Troyce Guice, candidate for the U.S. Senate, 1966 and 1986
- Bryant Hammett, state representative, 1992–2006
- Sam Hanna, Sr., late publisher of Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday
- Shelby M. Jackson, Education superintendent, 1948–1964
- Dan Richey, State Senator, 1980–1984
- Fred L. Schiele, Concordia Parish sheriff
- Howard K. Smith, ABC and CBS commentator
- Christopher W. Williams, Cenla American Institute of Architects President, 2010, Board of Regents Louisiana Architects Foundation
See also
References
- ^ John D. Winters, The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, pp, 74-75
- ^ Winters, p. 409
- ^ The Concordia Sentinel: News: Randy Maxwell: 'Still a lot to do'
- ^ "Louisiana general election returns, November 4, 2008". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=11040818. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Heinrich, P. V., 2008, Woodville 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Municipalities and communities of Concordia Parish, Louisiana Town Clayton | Ferriday | Ridgecrest | Vidalia
CDP Unincorporated
communityCategories:- Louisiana parishes
- Concordia Parish, Louisiana
- Natchez micropolitan area
- Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River
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