Familypedia
Register
Advertisement
This article is based on the corresponding article in another wiki. For Familypedia purposes, it requires significantly more historical detail on phases of this location's development. The ideal article for a place will give the reader a feel for what it was like to live at that location at the time their relatives were alive there. Also desirable are links to organizations that may be repositories of genealogical information..
Please help to improve this page yourself if you can.


See also Jeff Davis County

Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
EltonUMCWM
United Methodist Church in Elton.
Map of Louisiana highlighting Jefferson Davis Parish
Location in the state of Louisiana
Map of the U.S
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded January 1, 1913
Named for Jefferson Davis
Seat Jennings
Largest city Jennings
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

659 sq mi (1,707 km²)
651 sq mi (1,686 km²)
7.2 sq mi (19 km²), 1.1
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

32,250
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Jefferson Davis Parish (French: Paroisse de Jefferson Davis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,250.[1] The parish seat is Jennings.[2] Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern Louisiana and forms a part of the Acadiana region.

In 2005, the parish was damaged significantly by Hurricane Rita, which caused much wind damage and flooding in the western part of the parish. The storm also caused Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge to be affected by saltwater intrusion.

History[]

Jefferson Davis Parish was one of the last parishes to be organized in the state of Louisiana. It was originally a part of Imperial Calcasieu Parish, which contributed to five other parishes as the population increased in the area. The bill creating Jefferson Davis Parish was passed by the state legislature in 1912 but did not take effect until 1913.[3] Jefferson Davis Parish is part of the large, 22-county Acadiana region of Louisiana, which is influenced by a large Francophone population. It was named after Jefferson Davis, a prominent planter and the President of the Confederate States of America.

JenningsOilUSGS1933

The Jennings Oil Field in 1933

The first oil in Louisiana was drilled in 1901 in Evangeline, Acadia Parish, by W. Scott Heywood, who in 1932 was elected to the Louisiana State Senate.[4] The oil field was known as the Jennings Oil Field because Jennings was the nearest railroad stop to the oil field.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 660 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 651 square miles (1,690 km2) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]

Jefferson Davis Parish comprises five incorporated towns including Elton, Fenton, Jennings, Lake Arthur, and Welsh. There are also many unincorporated areas that add to the interest and economic structure of the parish including Barnsdall, Buller, China, Coverdale, Edna, Fontenot, Foreman's Hall, Hathaway, Illinois Plant, Lacassine, Lauderdale, Panchoville, Pine Island, Raymond, Roanoke, Silverwood, Thornwell, Topsy, Verret, and Woodlawn. Interstate 10 runs east and west through the center of the parish, providing access to local markets. Additionally, the Union Pacific Railroad is centrally located within the parish and the Mermentau River, which connects to the Intracoastal Waterway and has a channel depth of nine feet, provides access to the Port of Mermentau. The Jennings Airport, with a runway length of 5,000 feet (1,500 m), is capable of landing a small jet and is located next to Interstate 10. Jefferson Davis Parish also attracts sportsmen to the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge.

Adjacent parishes[]

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

  • I-10 Interstate 10
  • US 90 U.S. Highway 90
  • US 165 U.S. Highway 165
  • Louisiana 14 Louisiana Highway 14
  • Louisiana 26 Louisiana Highway 26
  • Louisiana 97 Louisiana Highway 97
  • Louisiana 99 Louisiana Highway 99
  • Louisiana 101 Louisiana Highway 101
  • Louisiana 102 Louisiana Highway 102
  • Louisiana 380 Louisiana Highway 380
  • Louisiana 382 Louisiana Highway 382
  • Louisiana 395 Louisiana Highway 395
  • Louisiana 1130 Louisiana Highway 1130

Airports[]

  • Jennings, (3R7)
  • Welsh

Template:Infobox airport

Communities[]

Map of Jefferson Davis Parish Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Map of Jefferson Davis Parish, with municipal labels

City[]

  • Jennings (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns[]

  • Elton
  • Lake Arthur
  • Welsh

Village[]

  • Fenton

Unincorporated areas[]

Census-designated places[]

  • Hathaway
  • Lacassine
  • Roanoke

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Barnsdall
  • Buller
  • China
  • Coverdale
  • Edna
  • Fontenot
  • Foreman's Hall
  • Gravel Point
  • Lauderdale
  • Niblett
  • Panchoville
  • Pine Island
  • Raymond
  • Silverwood
  • Soileau
  • Thornwell
  • Topsy
  • Verrett
  • Woodlawn

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1920 18,999
1930 19,765 4.0%
1940 24,191 22.4%
1950 26,298 8.7%
1960 29,825 13.4%
1970 29,554 −0.9%
1980 32,168 8.8%
1990 30,722 −4.5%
2000 31,435 2.3%
2010 31,594 0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[]

Jefferson Davis Parish racial composition[10]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 24,855 77.07%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5,130 15.91%
Native American 147 0.46%
Asian 100 0.31%
Pacific Islander 4 0.01%
Other/Mixed 1,280 3.97%
Hispanic or Latino 734 2.28%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,250 people, 11,726 households, and 8,149 families residing in the parish.

Education[]

Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates the schools in the parish.

  • Elton Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Elton)
  • Elton High School (Grades 6-12) (Elton)
  • Fenton Elementary School (Grades PK-8) (Fenton)
  • Hathaway High School (Grades K-12) (Jennings)
  • Jennings Elementary School (Grades 3-6) (Jennings)
  • Jennings High School (Grades 7-12) (Jennings)
  • Lacassine High School (Grades K-12) (Lacassine)
  • Lake Arthur Elementary School (Grades PK-6) (Lake Arthur)
  • Lake Arthur High School (Grades 7-12) (Lake Arthur)
  • James Ward Elementary School (Grades PK-2) (Jennings)
  • Welsh Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Welsh)
  • Welsh High School (Grades 8-12) (Welsh)
  • Welsh-Roanoke Jr. High School (Grades 6-8) (Roanoke)

Jeff Davis Parish is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette which has one school in the parish:

  • Our Lady Immaculate (Grades PK-8) (Jennings)

Additionally, Jeff Davis is served by one unaffiliated private school

  • Bethel Christian School is a PreK-12 Christian school located in unincorporated Jefferson Davis Parish, near Jennings.[11]

Jeff Davis Parish is served by one institution of higher education:

  • It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.[12] The Morgan Smith campus is located in Jennings.

National Guard[]

C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Jennings, Louisiana. This unit as part of the 256th IBCT deployed twice to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010.

Notable people[]

  • A.C. Clemons (1921-1992), former Louisiana state senator from 1960-72
  • Al Woods (born 1987), current American football player for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL
  • Thomas A. "Tom" Greene (born 1948), former Louisiana state senator from 1992-2000
  • Travis Etienne (born 1999), current American football player for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL
  • Cleve Francis (born 1945), country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist
  • Monte Ledbetter (1943-2020), former American football player in the NFL
  • Eugene John Hebert (1923-1990), priest and Jesuit missionary who famously disappeared in Sri Lanka in 1990 during the Sri Lankan civil war
  • Canray Fontenot (1922-1995), American Creole musician
  • Charles Mann (born 1944), singer and swamp pop performer and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
  • Jack Doland (1928-1991), former head football coach, athletic director, and president of McNeese State University and Louisiana state senator

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 11,423 76.97% 3,208 21.62% 210 1.41%
2016 10,775 75.47% 3,080 21.57% 422 2.96%
2012 10,014 72.91% 3,484 25.37% 236 1.72%
2008 9,278 68.72% 3,923 29.06% 300 2.22%
2004 8,055 61.93% 4,745 36.48% 207 1.59%
2000 6,945 55.36% 5,162 41.14% 439 3.50%
1996 4,311 33.31% 6,897 53.29% 1,735 13.40%
1992 4,513 32.61% 7,022 50.74% 2,303 16.64%
1988 5,851 45.74% 6,799 53.15% 141 1.10%
1984 8,296 57.36% 5,962 41.22% 206 1.42%
1980 5,667 46.73% 6,140 50.63% 320 2.64%
1976 3,603 35.06% 6,376 62.04% 299 2.91%
1972 5,903 65.96% 2,551 28.51% 495 5.53%
1968 2,213 22.70% 2,641 27.08% 4,897 50.22%
1964 3,673 42.52% 4,966 57.48% 0 0.00%
1960 2,251 25.84% 5,904 67.77% 557 6.39%
1956 4,170 62.93% 2,346 35.41% 110 1.66%
1952 3,447 49.03% 3,584 50.97% 0 0.00%
1948 793 21.78% 1,717 47.16% 1,131 31.06%
1944 1,156 33.17% 2,329 66.83% 0 0.00%
1940 1,054 29.40% 2,531 70.60% 0 0.00%
1936 608 19.15% 2,567 80.85% 0 0.00%
1932 512 18.13% 2,308 81.73% 4 0.14%
1928 1,120 39.67% 1,703 60.33% 0 0.00%
1924 883 47.58% 973 52.42% 0 0.00%
1920 895 55.14% 728 44.86% 0 0.00%
1916 200 22.91% 656 75.14% 17 1.95%



See also[]

  • Jeff Davis 8 string of unsolved murders
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22053.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gremillion, John Berton Gremillion. "Jefferson Davis Parish". McNeese State University. http://library.mcneese.edu/depts/archive/FTBooks/gremillion-jefferson%20davis.htm. 
  4. ^ "Heywood, Walter Scott". Louisiana Historical Association, A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography. http://www.lahistory.org/site25.php. 
  5. ^ "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. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "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. 
  10. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22053&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  11. ^ "Contact Information." Bethel Christian School. Retrieved on November 26, 2012. "15147 Hwy 102 Jennings, LA 70546"
  12. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. https://www.lctcs.edu/our-colleges. Retrieved 2021-06-03. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Geology

Hydrology

Template:Louisiana parishes



This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jefferson Davis 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.
Advertisement