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Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish, LA, Courthouse in Vidalia IMG 6910
Old Concordia Parish Courthouse in Vidalia
Map of Louisiana highlighting Concordia Parish
Location in the state of Louisiana
Map of the U.S
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

747 sq mi (1,935 km²)
697 sq mi (1,805 km²)
50 sq mi (129 km²), 6.7
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

18,687
Congressional district 5th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website http://www.conppj.org/
Concordia Parish Library in Vidalia, LA IMG 6912

The Concordia Parish Library is located in Vidalia behind the parish courthouse.

Vidalia, LA, Senior Center IMG 6914

The Vidalia Senior Center is operated by the Concordia Council on Aging.

Concordia Parish (French: Paroisse de Concordia) borders the Mississippi River in eastern central Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,687.[1] The parish seat is Vidalia.[2] The parish was formed in 1807.[3]

Concordia Parish is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is historically considered part of the Natchez District, devoted to cotton cultivation as a commodity crop, in contrast to the sugar cane crop of southern Louisiana. Other Louisiana parishes of similar character are East and West Carroll, Madison and Tensas, all in this lowlying delta land. On the east side of the Mississippi River is the Natchez District around the city of Natchez, Mississippi.[4]

History[]

Prehistory[]

Concordia Parish was the home to many successive Native American cultures for thousands of years before European encounter. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and earthwork mound sites throughout the area. Notable examples include Cypress Grove Mound, DePrato Mounds, Frogmore Mound Site, and Lamarque Landing Mound.

Historic Native American tribes encountered by early French explorers and colonists were the following:

Historic era[]

Concordia was named by Anglo-American settlers for a Latin word meaning "harmony". They came mostly after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, when the United States took over this formerly French colonial area west of the Mississippi. Like other parishes of the lands along the Mississippi River, in the antebellum era, the parish was developed for cotton cultivation on large plantations. The labor-intensive crop was profitable because of the labor of enslaved African Americans.

In 1789, Jose Don Vidal a resident of Natchez, MS and later the founder of the city of Vidalia, LA asked for land grants to move his family from Natchez to the other side of the Mississippi River. In Natchez, there was a mansion built called Concord (Natchez, Mississippi), this was a residence lived in by Spanish governors, also Vidal and his family lived there before the time era of the US began.

The Mansion started the name "Concord" and ultimately later led to the birth of what would be Concordia Parish. During the year of 1804, a ceremony of transfer was held and the citizens and Mayor of Natchez crossed over to the Louisiana side of the Mississippi to honor the new land that was founded. The Mansion was later struct by fire in the early 20th century (1901) and burned down. Natchez people also lived on both sides of the land.

"Concordia County" was a creation of the first Legislative Council held in New Orleans on December 2, 1804. Its territory that included parts of the present parishes of East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas.[5] Land between the Mississippi, Red, Black, and Tensaw rivers comprised the early local administration of Concordia.[6]

Because Concordia's alluvial soil was unusually productive for cotton growing, it attracted large plantations, whose owners enslaved a very high number of people. In 1860, slaves made up 91 percent of Concordia Parish's residents, the highest percentage of any Louisiana parish. Only two counties in the United States — Washington and Issaquena counties in Mississippi — had a higher percentage of its population enslaved.[7] As might be expected, the small number of white cotton planters in Concordia were fierce defenders of chattel slavery and strongly backed the Confederacy during the American Civil War.

Law and government[]

The current elected sheriff is David Hedrick.

The parish trends Democratic for local offices. For national offices, the majority has favored Republican candidates. 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 McCain of Arizona.[8] 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.

United States presidential election results for Concordia Parish, Louisiana[9]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,550 62.87% 3,177 35.99% 101 1.14%
2016 5,477 61.73% 3,272 36.88% 123 1.39%
2012 5,450 58.10% 3,833 40.86% 97 1.03%
2008 5,668 59.49% 3,766 39.53% 93 0.98%
2004 5,427 60.43% 3,446 38.37% 107 1.19%
2000 4,627 54.44% 3,569 41.99% 303 3.57%
1996 3,134 35.96% 4,565 52.38% 1,016 11.66%
1992 3,223 35.23% 4,283 46.82% 1,642 17.95%
1988 5,037 57.49% 3,461 39.50% 263 3.00%
1984 6,177 63.73% 3,332 34.38% 183 1.89%
1980 4,933 54.20% 3,956 43.46% 213 2.34%
1976 3,849 48.65% 3,892 49.19% 171 2.16%
1972 4,521 64.37% 2,142 30.50% 360 5.13%
1968 974 12.99% 1,983 26.44% 4,542 60.57%
1964 4,022 83.25% 809 16.75% 0 0.00%
1960 1,009 30.29% 768 23.06% 1,554 46.65%
1956 841 39.74% 699 33.03% 576 27.22%
1952 1,110 46.99% 1,252 53.01% 0 0.00%
1948 98 6.25% 329 21.00% 1,140 72.75%
1944 201 17.11% 974 82.89% 0 0.00%
1940 119 9.21% 1,173 90.79% 0 0.00%
1936 58 4.79% 1,152 95.13% 1 0.08%
1932 20 1.96% 999 98.04% 0 0.00%
1928 133 18.37% 591 81.63% 0 0.00%
1924 46 12.60% 319 87.40% 0 0.00%
1920 12 3.06% 380 96.94% 0 0.00%
1916 10 3.61% 264 95.31% 3 1.08%
1912 6 2.67% 205 91.11% 14 6.22%



Geography[]

Frogmore Mound Site HRoe 2011 01

Frogmore Mound Site on U.S. Highway 84 near Ferriday

Concordia Parish Library in Vidalia, LA IMG 6912

The Concordia Parish Library is located in Vidalia behind the parish courthouse.

Vidalia, LA, Senior Center IMG 6914

The Vidalia Senior Center is operated by the Concordia Council on Aging.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 747 square miles (1,930 km2), of which 697 square miles (1,810 km2) is land and 50 square miles (130 km2) (6.7%) is water.[10]

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[]

  • US 65 U.S. Highway 65
  • US 84 U.S. Highway 84
  • Louisiana 15 Louisiana Highway 15
  • Louisiana 566 Louisiana Highway 566

Adjacent counties and parishes[]

National protected area[]

  • Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge

State protected area[]

  • Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 2,626
1830 4,662 77.5%
1840 9,414 101.9%
1850 7,758 −17.6%
1860 13,805 77.9%
1870 9,977 −27.7%
1880 14,914 49.5%
1890 14,871 −0.3%
1900 13,559 −8.8%
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%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[]

Concordia Parish racial composition[15]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 10,157 54.35%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,477 40.01%
Native American 39 0.21%
Asian 115 0.62%
Other/Mixed 440 2.35%
Hispanic or Latino 459 2.46%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,687 people, 7,162 households, and 4,562 families residing in the parish.

2000 census[]

As of the census[16] 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 57.9% White, 40.7% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 1.2% 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.

Education[]

Concordia Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.

National Guard[]

1086th Transportation Company of the 165th CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion of the 139th RSG (Regional Support Group) is based in Vidalia, Louisiana on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Communities[]

City[]

  • Vidalia (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns[]

  • Ferriday
  • Clayton
  • Ridgecrest
Map of Concordia Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Map of Concordia Parish, with municipal labels

Census-designated places[]

  • Minorca
  • Monterey
  • Spokane

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Acme
  • Ashland
  • Black Hawk
  • Eva
  • Fairview
  • West Ferriday

Notable people[]

Arts and entertainment[]

  • Jerry Lee Lewis, musician
  • Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist
  • Mickey Gilley, musician

Journalism[]

  • Campbell Brown, Emmy-award-winning journalist, CNN Anchor/host.
  • Sam Hanna Sr., late publisher of Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday
  • Howard K. Smith, ABC and CBS commentator

Politics[]

  • Al Ater, State representative (1984–1988) and secretary of state (2005–2006)
  • Leo Boothe, longest-serving District Judge of Concordia Parish and Catahoula Parish (1991−2015)
  • Clifford Cleveland Brooks, planter in St. Joseph, represented Concordia Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932.[17]
  • James H. "Jim" Brown, state senator (1972–1980), Louisiana secretary of state (1980–1988), and insurance commissioner (1992–2000)
  • Charles C. Cordill, Louisiana state senator representing Concordia and Tensas parishes from 1884 to 1912[18]
  • Noah W. Cross, Concordia Parish sheriff, 1944−1948; 1952−1973
  • Brenham C. Crothers, Ferriday cattleman; state senator from delta parishes from 1948 to 1952 and 1956−1960
  • Troyce Guice, U.S. Senate candidate, 1966 and 1986
  • Bryant Hammett, state representative, 1992–2006
  • Shelby M. Jackson, Education superintendent, 1948–1964
  • Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester (1858−1909), spent part of her childhood at Ravenswood Place plantation, in the vicinity of Lake St. John.
  • Ed Rand, late state representative (1960−1964) from Rapides Parish had a second home on Lake St. John.
  • Dan Richey, state senator, 1980–1984
  • Fred L. Schiele, state representative (1964−1968), Concordia Parish sheriff (1973−1980)
  • J. Robert Wooley, state insurance commissioner (2000−2006); practiced law in Concordia Parish with James H. "Jim" Brown in late 1970s[19]

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Concordia Parish, Louisiana

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22029.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "Concordia Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. http://ccet.louisiana.edu/tourism/parishes/Central_Louisiana/concordia.html. 
  4. ^ John C. Rodrigue, Reconstruction in the Cane Fields: From Slavery to Free Labor in Louisiana's Sugar Parishes, 1862--1880, LSU Press, 2001, p. 176
  5. ^ Calhoun, Robert Dabney. (1932). A history of Concordia Parish, Louisiana. (1768-1931). New Orleans, LA: n.p. pp. 33-34.
  6. ^ Brackenridge, Henry Marie. (1817). Views of Louisiana: containing geographical, statistical, and historical notices of that vast and important portion of America. Baltimore: Schaeffer & Maund. Google Books website pp. 287-288.
  7. ^ "Map showing the distribution of the slave population of the southern states of the United States. Compiled from the census of 1860". https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3861e.cw0013200/?r=0.317,0.415,0.138,0.069,0. 
  8. ^ "Louisiana general election returns, November 4, 2008". sos.louisiana.gov. http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=11040818. 
  9. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. 
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  15. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22029&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  17. ^ Henry E. Chambers, History of Louisiana, Vol. 2 (Chicago and New York City: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925, p. 71)
  18. ^ "Membership in the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2012". legis.state.la.us. http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/Documents/SenateMembership1880ForwardRevisedMar2011.pdf. 
  19. ^ "Mike Hasten, "Louisiana insurance commissioner's race Wooley turns temporary job into a mission", November 7, 2003". capitolwatch.reallouisiana.com. http://capitolwatch.reallouisiana.com/html/FEFC63E0-7B09-4AF6-9D95-DAA269103A2A.shtml. 

External links[]

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Coordinates: 31°26′N 91°38′W / 31.44, -91.64



This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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