Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

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Not to be confused with Point Coupee, Louisiana.
Pointe Coupee Parish
Parish
Parish of Pointe Coupee
Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse
Pointe Coupee Parish Courthouse
Map of Louisiana highlighting Pointe Coupee Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°43′N 91°36′W / 30.71°N 91.6°W / 30.71; -91.6
Country United States
State Louisiana
Founded1807
Named forFrench for the place of the cut-off
SeatNew Roads
Largest cityNew Roads
Area
 • Total591 sq mi (1,530 km2)
 • Land557 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Water33 sq mi (90 km2)  5.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total22,016
 • Estimate 
(2021)
22,706[1]
 • Density37/sq mi (14/km2)
Demonym(s)Pointe Coupean
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
70715, 70729, 70732, 70736, 70747, 70749, 70752, 70753, 70755, 70756, 70759, 70760, 70762, 70773, 70783
Area code225
Congressional district6th
Websitewww.pcpolicejury.org

Pointe Coupee Parish, (/ˈpɔɪnt kəˈpiː/ or /ˈpwɑːnt kuːˈpeɪ/; French: Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée), is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,802.[2] The parish seat is New Roads.[3]

Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Louisiana was located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads.[4]

History[]

Further information: Point Coupee, Louisiana and New Roads, Louisiana

Point Coupee is the oldest white settlement on the lower Mississippi, having been made by some wandering Canadian trappers as early as 1708. Bienville established this place as a military post, before the commencement of New Orleans. The fort was moved in 1722 to an area near the present St. Francisville Ferry landing.

After several floods, Governor Luis de Unzaga in 1772 moved the European settlement to a new post, the so-called Post Unzaga. Recently, historians Cazorla and Polo, from the Louis de Unzaga Historical Society research team, using satellite remote sensing techniques and comparative plans from the General Archive of the Indies, have managed to locate the position of the Unzaga post, which included, along with it, a parish. After the slave rebellion of 1795 this settlement was left uninhabited.[5] Pointe Coupee Parish (originally and recently, informally pronounced pwahnt coo-pay) was organized by European Americans in 1805 as part of the Territory of Orleans (statehood for Louisiana followed in 1812). It was originally called Pointe Coupee County, and was one of the original 12 counties of the Territory of Orleans. It was renamed as Pointe Coupee Parish in 1816. The original Pointe Coupee Parish included parts of present-day Iberville and West Baton Rouge Parishes. There were minor boundary adjustments with neighboring parishes up through 1852, when its boundaries stabilized.[6]

In 2008, Pointe Coupee was one of the communities that suffered the most damage by Hurricane Gustav.

Geography[]

Map of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 557 square miles (1,440 km2) is land and 33 square miles (85 km2) (5.6%) is water.[7] The land consists mainly of prairies and backswamp.

Major highways[]

Pointe Coupee Parish has 498.98 miles of highways within its borders.[8]

Major waterways[]

Adjacent parishes[]

National protected area[]

Demographics[]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1745 600—    
1810 3,187+431.2%
1820 4,912+54.1%
1830 5,942+21.0%
1840 7,898+32.9%
1850 11,339+43.6%
1860 17,718+56.3%
1870 12,981−26.7%
1880 17,785+37.0%
1890 19,613+10.3%
1900 25,777+31.4%
1910 25,289−1.9%
1920 24,697−2.3%
1930 21,007−14.9%
1940 24,004+14.3%
1950 21,841−9.0%
1960 22,488+3.0%
1970 22,002−2.2%
1980 24,045+9.3%
1990 22,540−6.3%
2000 22,763+1.0%
2010 22,802+0.2%
2020 22,016−3.4%
2021 (est.) 22,706+3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[2]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 22,763 people, 8,397 households, and 6,171 families residing in the parish. The population density was 41 people per square mile (16/km2). There were 10,297 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km2). The racial makeup of the parish was 68.91% White, 29.61% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 93.61% of the population spoke only English at home, while 4.89% spoke French or Cajun French, 0.96% spoke Spanish, and 0.73% spoke Louisiana Creole French.[1]

There were 8,397 households, out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.70% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $30,618, and the median income for a family was $36,625. Males had a median income of $35,022 versus $20,759 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,387, ranking 23rd out of 64 parishes. About 18.70% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.20% of those under age 18 and 23.90% are the age of 65 and older.

Economy[]

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America has a large plant near Batchelor. Another large employer is NRG / Big Cajun 1 & 2 power plants near New Roads. The parish's economy is heavily reliant upon agriculture, with sugar cane being one of the main cash crops.

Education[]

Primary and secondary schools[]

The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board serves the parish. As of 2014 the sole secondary school operated by the parish school board is Livonia High School, serving grades 7 through 12. Pointe Coupee Central High School was closed down in 2014. Current public schools include Stem Magnet Academy, Valverda Elementary, Rougon, Rosenwald, and Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary.

Private

The parish is in the service area of South Louisiana Community College.[15]

National Guard[]

A Co of the 769th BEB (Brigade Engineer Battalion) is an Engineer Company (Combat) that resides in New Roads, Louisiana. This unit is part of the 256TH IBCT and deployed to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010.

Communities[]

Pointe Coupee Parish map showing names and locations of towns and communities

City[]

Towns[]

Village[]

Census-designated place[]

Unincorporated communities[]

Notable residents[]

  • Lindy Boggs (1916-2013) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. She was a Dame of the Orders of Malta, St. Lazarus and Holy Sepulchre as well as the Pian Order.
  • Brian J. Costello, native and lifelong resident of New Roads is a humanitarian author of more than two dozen books on local, Louisiana, European and religious studies and is a Knight of the Imperial Teutonic, St. Lazarus and Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire Orders.
  • (1926–1981) – president of the Louisiana NAACP from 1966 to 1981, resided in New Roads from 1949 to 1981
  • Ernest Gaines – author
  • - former state representative from East Baton Rouge Parish
  • Buddy Guy - Singer
  • Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, historian, did extensive research and writing about slavery in Louisiana, having discovered important documentation of the slave trade and individual slaves that provided new understanding of African-American history in Louisiana, including the specific ethnic origins in various African cultures of many slaves
  • Russel L. Honoré - retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
  • - state representative 1936–1968; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1960-1964
  • - state senator from District 17, 1976–1992, horse breeder
  • J. E. Jumonville, Sr. - state senator, 1968–1976, natural gas developer
  • Catherine D. Kimball - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court; former judge of the Louisiana 18th Judicial District Court, 1983-1993
  • Major General John Archer Lejeune, career military officer and Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
  • Hall Lyons (1923-1998) - Louisiana oilman and politician, owned at least two oil wells in Pointe Coupee Parish.
  • Norma McCorvey - anonymous plaintiff in 1973 U.S. Supreme Court landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade.
  • deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964), born in New Roads, was elected four times as mayor of New Orleans, serving from 1946 to 1962; he ran unsuccessfully three times for governor of Louisiana. He was also the United States ambassador to the Organization of American States.
  • , (1905-1974), New Roads native, became a journalist, politician and preservationist, helping protect the French Quarter of New Orleans.
  • Charles Parlange - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court
  • Scott L. Smith, Jr. - Catholic author, theologian, and attorney
  • Julien Poydras – territorial U.S. Representative for Louisiana; 1st State Senate President, philanthropist
  • James Ryder Randall - poet, teacher at Poydras Academy, 1856–1860, wrote "Maryland, My Maryland" while living in Pointe Coupée Parish
  • Nauman Scott - judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, based in Alexandria
  • Major Thibaut - state representative for District 18 since 2008; First Parish President
  • H. C. Tounoir - former state representative
  • Chris Williams - offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams
  • - former State Representative and former deputy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Politics[]

Prior to 2008, Pointe Coupee Parish was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, only failing to back the party's candidates four times between 1912 & 2004 even as the Solid South became a Republican stronghold at the presidential level. Since then, it has swung to primarily support Republican Party candidates, with Donald Trump winning the county by a margin of over twenty-two points in the most recent presidential election of 2020. However, the substantial African-American minority has kept the Republican swing less pronounced compared to many other rural counties throughout the South.

Presidential election results

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ https://population.us/county/la/pointe-coupee-parish/
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ^ "Centers of Population by State: 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  5. ^ Cazorla, Frank, The governor Louis de Unzaga (1717-1793) Pioneer in birth of the United States of America and in Liberalism, Foundation Malaga, 2019, pages 58, 133
  6. ^ Gold Bug Software. "AniMap Plus: County Boundary Historical Atlas".
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Louisiana State Police". lsp.org.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  11. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  15. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-03-09.

External links[]

Coordinates: 30°43′N 91°36′W / 30.71°N 91.60°W / 30.71; -91.60

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