Des Allemands, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Des Allemands is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Lafourche
and St. Charles
parishes in the southeastern part of the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The population was 2,500 at the 2000 census. The town, known as the "Catfish Capital of the Universe," is along the Bayou
Des Allemands, which is the boundary of Lafourche and St. Charles parishes. The ZIP code
for Des Allemands is 70030.
The St. Charles Parish portion of Des Allemands is part of the New Orleans
Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Lafourche Parish portion is part of the Houma
–Bayou Cane
–Thibodaux
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
Des Allemands was settled in 1721 by immigrants to the colony of Louisiana
from Germany
under the control of John Law (economist)
and the "Company of the Indies
". "Des Allemands" means "the Germans" (partitive case
) in the French
. The German Louisiana colony was originally up the Mississippi River
in what is now Arkansas
, but experienced hostility from the local Native Americans
in that area, and moved to a location much closer to the colonial capital of New Orleans.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.3 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (20.35%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,500 people, 943 households, and 714 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 287.6 people per square mile (111.1/km²). There were 1,020 housing units at an average density of 117.3 per square mile (45.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.88% White, 10.44% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races
, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.48% of the population.
There were 943 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,908, and the median income for a family was $32,946. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $21,433 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $15,306. About 16.2% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Lafourche
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lafourche 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...
and St. Charles
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...
parishes in the southeastern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population was 2,500 at the 2000 census. The town, known as the "Catfish Capital of the Universe," is along the Bayou
Bayou
A bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river , or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks that see level changes due to tides and hold brackish water which...
Des Allemands, which is the boundary of Lafourche and St. Charles parishes. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for Des Allemands is 70030.
The St. Charles Parish portion of Des Allemands is part of the New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Lafourche Parish portion is part of the Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
–Bayou Cane
Bayou Cane, Louisiana
Bayou Cane is a census-designated place in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 17,046 at the 2000 census.Bayou Cane is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Terrebonne and Lafourche...
–Thibodaux
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a small city in and the parish seat of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Area
The Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana that covers two parishes - Lafourche and Terrebonne...
.
History
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...
from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
under the control of John Law (economist)
John Law (economist)
John Law was a Scottish economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange that did not constitute wealth in itself and that national wealth depended on trade...
and the "Company of the Indies
Mississippi Company
The "Mississippi Company" became the "Company of the West" and expanded as the "Company of the Indies" .-The Banque Royale:...
". "Des Allemands" means "the Germans" (partitive case
Partitive
In linguistics, the partitive is a word, phrase, or case that divides something into parts. For example, in the English sentence I'll have some coffee, some is a partitive determiner because it makes the noun phrase some coffee refer to a subset of all coffee...
) in the 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...
. The German Louisiana colony was originally up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in what is now Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, but experienced hostility from the local Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in that area, and moved to a location much closer to the colonial capital of New Orleans.
Geography
Des Allemands is located at 29°49′32"N 90°28′9"W (29.825570, -90.469163).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 CDP has a total area of 10.9 square miles (28.3 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (22.5 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (20.35%) is water.
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 2,500 people, 943 households, and 714 families residing in the CDP. 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 287.6 people per square mile (111.1/km²). There were 1,020 housing units at an average density of 117.3 per square mile (45.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.88% White, 10.44% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.84% 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 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.48% of the population.
There were 943 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,908, and the median income for a family was $32,946. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $21,433 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 CDP was $15,306. About 16.2% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.
Festivals
- Hosts the Louisiana Catfish Festival every second weekend in July.
- Hosts a small parade in conjunction with Mardi Gras season.
In pop culture
- The 1973 James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie Live and Let Die (film)Live and Let Die (film)Live and Let Die is the eighth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman...
included a boat chase scene that was filmed in Bayou Des Allemands. - Popular southern metal band Down (band)Down (band)Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
filmed the music video for their 1995 debut single Stone The CrowStone the Crow"Stone the Crow" is the debut single by heavy metal band Down off their 1995 debut album, NOLA. It peaked at #40 on the US Mainstream Rock Charts. A video was also produced for the song.-Structure:...
at an old Des Allemands bar called The Smile Inn. The song peaked at #40 on the US Mainstream Rock Charts, and NOLA (album)NOLA (album)- Band members :* Phil Anselmo - vocals, guitar on "Pray for the Locust", mandolin on "Jail"* Pepper Keenan - guitar* Kirk Windstein - guitar, bass* Jimmy Bower - drums- Guest musicians :...
, the album from which it was taken, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. - Much of the 1997 Robert DuvallRobert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
movie The ApostleThe ApostleThe Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson and Billy Joe Shaver also appear...
was filmed in Des Allemands. Duvall's performance in this movie resulted in a nomination by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1998. John BeasleyJohn BeasleyJohn Beasley may refer to:*John Beasley , American actor*John Beasley , American basketball player*John Beasley , American football player...
, Farrah FawcettFarrah FawcettFarrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
, Billy Bob ThorntonBilly Bob ThorntonBilly Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
, June Carter CashJune Carter CashValerie June Carter Cash was an American singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, comedienne and author who was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash...
, and Miranda RichardsonMiranda RichardsonMiranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
also appear in the film. - Portions of the 1999 HBO film Lesson Before Dying featuring Don CheadleDon CheadleDonald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
were filmed at various locations in and around Des Allemands. The Smile Inn and an old abandoned neighborhood grocery store known by locals as "DeJean's" were featured prominently in several scenes. The film received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Made-For-Television Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Mini-Series or Movie. - Brandi and Gregory Dufrene, Jr., of Des Allemands were participants on the highly viewed reality television show Wife SwapWife SwapWife Swap is a reality television program, originally produced by UK independent television production company RDF Media and created by Stephen Lambert. It was first broadcast in 2003 on the UK's Channel 4. Since 2004, a US version has also been broadcast on the ABC network...
that aired October 24, 2008 on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network. The episode illustrated the striking differences between CajunCajunCajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
life in Des Allemands, LA and urban life in Huntington BeachHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, CA. - Portions of the Warner Bros. motion picture Jonah HexJonah Hex (film)Jonah Hex is a 2010 post-Civil War antihero Western film loosely based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film is directed by Jimmy Hayward and stars Josh Brolin as the title character, Jonah Hex, and also stars John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender,...
starring Megan FoxMegan FoxMegan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
and Josh BrolinJosh BrolinJosh James Brolin is an American actor. He has acted in theater, film and television roles since 1985, and won acting awards for his roles in the films W., No Country for Old Men, Milk and True Grit.-Early life:...
were filmed in Des Allemands and New Orleans during the months of April and May 2009. The movie is scheduled to be released June 18, 2010. - Gay Serial Killer Ronald DominiqueRonald DominiqueRonald Joseph Dominique is an American serial killer from the Bayou Blue area of Houma, Louisiana.Dominique was investigated following a police report by a man who refused to let Dominique tie him up...
made national news in 2006 when he was captured and confessed to the rape and murder of at least 23 men over a ten-year period beginning in 1997 in Terrebonne Parish, Lafourche Parish, Iberville Parish and Jefferson Parish. Dominique lived and worked in Des Allemands for a short period during the time of the killings.