Baker, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
, and a part of the Baton Rouge
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.
, the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.5 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 13,793 people, 4,971 households, and 3,782 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,747.3 people per square mile (675.0/km²). There were 5,389 housing units at an average density of 682.7 per square mile (263.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.97% White, 52.36% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.
There were 4,971 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,151, and the median income for a family was $38,621. Males had a median income of $31,791 versus $22,177 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,920. About 13.4% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Baker experienced an influx of New Orleans residents during the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Renaissance Village (established by FEMA) was the home to more than 3000 evacuees of which more than 500 were school-age children. The large majority of the residents came from the poorest parts of New Orleans.
for the schools in the Town of Baker. The schools and their organizations are able to use the Festival to raise money for their activities. Besides what they raise on their own, the Festival Committee also makes donations in the form of lump sums to all the schools that participate. It is a wonderful family affair that includes a festival, parade
, Queen's pageant, and a car show.
. Unincorporated areas with Baker addresses are within the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools
.
(combat) headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. These units belong to the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered at Pineville, Louisiana
on Camp Beauregard
. As of 2011 this unit has been activated for overseas deployment to a combat theater.
, who served as East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney
from 1972—1984, grew up in Baker and graduated from Baker High School. While a student there, he composed the Baker High alma mater
Former Louisiana State Senator
Mike Cross
was the mayor
of Baker from 1976–1981, having been preceded and succeeded in the latter position by Norman E. "Pete" Heine
. Heine's successor, Bobby Simpson
, a Republican
, became the East Baton Rouge mayor-president in 2001. Former Louisiana State Representative
Tony Perkins
resided in Baker until he relocated to Washington, D.C.
, to head the Family Research Council
. W.W. Dumas, the East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president from 1965–1980, was from Baker, where he relocated after World War II
to play semi-professional baseball
. Rufus D. Hayes
, the first Louisiana insurance commissioner
was an East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney
and judge
who resided in Baker at the time of his death in 2002.
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
, Louisiana
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a part of 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Baton Rouge metropolitan area
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a sprawling area consisting of nine parishes in Louisiana, anchored by the city of Baton Rouge...
. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Baker is located at 30°35′8"N 91°9′26"W (30.585637, -91.157096). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,793 people, 4,971 households, and 3,782 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,747.3 people per square mile (675.0/km²). There were 5,389 housing units at an average density of 682.7 per square mile (263.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.97% White, 52.36% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 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 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.
There were 4,971 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,151, and the median income for a family was $38,621. Males had a median income of $31,791 versus $22,177 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 city was $14,920. About 13.4% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
Baker experienced an influx of New Orleans residents during the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Renaissance Village (established by FEMA) was the home to more than 3000 evacuees of which more than 500 were school-age children. The large majority of the residents came from the poorest parts of New Orleans.
Baker Buffalo Festival
The Baker Buffalo Festival is held every year in Baker on the last full weekend in September. The Festival was started in 1993 as a fundraiserFundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
for the schools in the Town of Baker. The schools and their organizations are able to use the Festival to raise money for their activities. Besides what they raise on their own, the Festival Committee also makes donations in the form of lump sums to all the schools that participate. It is a wonderful family affair that includes a festival, parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
, Queen's pageant, and a car show.
Education
Baker residents are zoned to the City of Baker School SystemCity of Baker School System
City of Baker School System is a school district headquartered in Baker, Louisiana, United States.The school district serves the City of Baker.-Secondary schools:* Baker High School * -Elementary schools:* * * -External links:*...
. Unincorporated areas with Baker addresses are within the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools
East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools
East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools is a public school district headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.The district serves most of East Baton Rouge Parish; it contains approximately 90 individual schools: 56 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 18 high schools.The portion...
.
National Guard
Baker is home to the 926th MAC (mobility augmentation company) which is part of the 769th Engineer BattalionBattalion
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...
(combat) headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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...
. These units belong to the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered at Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
on Camp Beauregard
Camp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
. As of 2011 this unit has been activated for overseas deployment to a combat theater.
Notable residents
Ossie BrownOssie Brown
Ossie B. Brown was a Baton Rouge Democrat who served two six-year terms as district attorney of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, from 1972—1984. In 1970, he successfully defended United States Army Sergeant David Mitchell in the My Lai Massacre cases...
, who served as East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
from 1972—1984, grew up in Baker and graduated from Baker High School. While a student there, he composed the Baker High alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
Former Louisiana State Senator
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...
Mike Cross
Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)
Michael Aduron Cross, known as Mike Cross is an American businessman who served from 1981 to 1996 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 13 in Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
was the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Baker from 1976–1981, having been preceded and succeeded in the latter position by Norman E. "Pete" Heine
Pete Heine
Norman E. Heine, known as Pete Heine , is a former Democratic mayor of the East Baton Rouge Parish city of Baker, located east of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, having served from 1964–1976 and again from 1981-1992...
. Heine's successor, Bobby Simpson
Bobby Simpson (Louisiana politician)
Bobby Ray Simpson is an educator who served as the Republican Mayor-President, a combined municipal-parish office of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, from 2001-2004...
, a 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...
, became the East Baton Rouge mayor-president in 2001. Former Louisiana State Representative
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...
Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins (politician)
Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins is president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian think tank and public policy foundation based in Washington, D.C...
resided in Baker until he relocated to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to head the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
. W.W. Dumas, the East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president from 1965–1980, was from Baker, where he relocated after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to play semi-professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Rufus D. Hayes
Rufus D. Hayes
Rufus D. Hayes was an attorney, judge, and businessman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as his state’s insurance commissioner from 1957-1964. He was also a former district attorney in East Baton Rouge Parish and in 1958 the Louisiana Democratic state chairman...
, the first Louisiana insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
was an East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
who resided in Baker at the time of his death in 2002.