Assumption Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Assumption Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana
, and was formed in 1807 as an original parish of the Louisiana Territory
. Its parish seat is Napoleonville
. In 2000, its population was 23,388. Assumption is one of the 22 Acadiana
parishes. Its major product is sugarcane
. In proportion to its area, Assumption Parish produces the most sugar of any parish of Louisiana.
Assumption Parish is part of the Pierre Part
Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge
–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area
.
Assumption Parish is represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives
by Joe Harrison
(Republican
), Karen Gaudet St. Germain (Democrat
), and Elton Aubert (Democrat
).
In 1807, Assumption became the eighth parish of the Louisiana Territory
. Its history is rooted in its waterways and its large expanse of fertile soils ideal for farming. Settled in the middle 18th century by French and Spanish settlers, the area retains strong cultural ties to its past with conversational French still common among residents. Assumption was also a final destination for many of the French Acadian
s exiled from Nova Scotia
between 1755 and 1764.
After the Confederacy
forced the surrender of Fort Sumter
, South Carolina
, in 1861, the Assumption Parish Police Jury appropriated $1,000 to provide uniforms for military volunteers against the Union
. By contrast, Lafayette Parish
contributed $6,000. Plaquemines Parish approved a gift of $10 to $15 per month for needy volunteer families.
, 31.52% Black
or African American
, 0.31% Native American
, 0.24% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.17% from other races
, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 81.14% of the population over the age of five spoke only English at home, while 17.58% reported speaking French
or Cajun French
http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=7&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r.
There were 8,239 households out of which 37.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 14.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the parish the age distribution of the population shows 28.50% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $31,168, and the median income for a family was $36,052. Males had a median income of $35,941 versus $18,065 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $14,008. About 19.50% of families and 21.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.40% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.
is the sole incorporated community in the parish.
operates local public schools. Assumption High School
serves the whole parish.
Company, a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion
and the 225th Engineer Brigade.
Geology
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and was formed in 1807 as an original parish of the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
. Its parish seat is Napoleonville
Napoleonville, Louisiana
Napoleonville is a village in and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 686 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. In 2000, its population was 23,388. Assumption is one of the 22 Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
parishes. Its major product is sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
. In proportion to its area, Assumption Parish produces the most sugar of any parish of Louisiana.
Assumption Parish is part of the Pierre Part
Pierre Part, Louisiana
Pierre Part is a census-designated place in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,239 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Assumption Parish...
Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area
Baton Rouge-Pierre Part combined statistical area
The Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area is made up of ten parishes in southeastern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Assumption Parish is represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
by Joe Harrison
Joe Harrison (Louisiana politician)
Joseph Arthur Harrison, known as Joe Harrison is a financial planner from Napoleonville, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 51 in Assumption, Lafourche, St...
(Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
), Karen Gaudet St. Germain (Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
), and Elton Aubert (Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
).
History
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
. Its history is rooted in its waterways and its large expanse of fertile soils ideal for farming. Settled in the middle 18th century by French and Spanish settlers, the area retains strong cultural ties to its past with conversational French still common among residents. Assumption was also a final destination for many of the French Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
s exiled from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
between 1755 and 1764.
After the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
forced the surrender of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, in 1861, the Assumption Parish Police Jury appropriated $1,000 to provide uniforms for military volunteers against the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. By contrast, Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
Lafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lafayette. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578....
contributed $6,000. Plaquemines Parish approved a gift of $10 to $15 per month for needy volunteer families.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 365 square miles (945.3 km²), of which 339 square miles (878 km²) is land and 26 square miles (67.3 km²) (7.10%) is water.Major highways
-
U.S. Highway 90 -
Louisiana Highway 1Louisiana Highway 1Louisiana Highway 1 is a state highway in Louisiana. At 436.20 miles , it is the longest numbered highway of any class in Louisiana. It runs diagonally across the state, connecting the oil and gas fields near the island of Grand Isle with the northwest corner of the state, north of Shreveport.The...
Adjacent parishes
- Iberville ParishIberville Parish, LouisianaIberville Parish is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Plaquemine. The 2010 population of the parish was 33,387....
& Ascension ParishAscension Parish, LouisianaAscension Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the fastest growing parish in the state. Its population is 107,215 which is 39.9% greater than the 2000 census...
(north) - St. James Parish (northeast)
- Lafourche ParishLafourche Parish, LouisianaLafourche Parish is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The parish seat is Thibodaux...
(east) - Terrebonne ParishTerrebonne Parish, LouisianaTerrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
(southeast) - St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish, LouisianaSt. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
(southwest) - Iberia ParishIberia Parish, LouisianaIberia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Iberia. As of 2000, the population was 73,266.Iberia Parish is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.Iberia, along with...
(northwest) - St. Martin ParishSt. Martin Parish, LouisianaSt. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
(west)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,388 people, 8,239 households, and 6,311 families residing in the parish. The population density was 69 people per square mile (27/km²). There were 9,635 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 67.17% WhiteRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 31.52% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.31% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.24% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.17% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 81.14% of the population over the age of five spoke only English at home, while 17.58% reported speaking French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=7&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r.
There were 8,239 households out of which 37.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.80% were married couples living together, 14.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.40% were non-families. 20.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the parish the age distribution of the population shows 28.50% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $31,168, and the median income for a family was $36,052. Males had a median income of $35,941 versus $18,065 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the parish was $14,008. About 19.50% of families and 21.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.40% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
NapoleonvilleNapoleonville, Louisiana
Napoleonville is a village in and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 686 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
is the sole incorporated community in the parish.
Census-designated places
|
Paincourtville, Louisiana Paincourtville is a census-designated place in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 884 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.... Pierre Part, Louisiana Pierre Part is a census-designated place in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,239 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Assumption Parish... |
Supreme, Louisiana Supreme is a census-designated place in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,119 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Supreme is located at .... |
Education
Assumption Parish School BoardAssumption Parish School Board
Assumption Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The district serves Assumption Parish.-PreK-8 schools:* -Middle schools:* * * - Primary schools :* * * *...
operates local public schools. Assumption High School
Assumption High School (Louisiana)
Assumption High School is a public secondary school located at 4880 Highway 308 in unincorporated Assumption Parish, Louisiana, north of the City of Napoleonville; it has a ZIP code of 70390...
serves the whole parish.
National Guard
The 928th SapperSapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
Company, a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and the 225th Engineer Brigade.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Assumption Parish, Louisiana
External links
- Assumption Parish Website
- Assumption Parish Area Chamber of Commerce
- Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
Geology
- Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.