Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Grand Coteau is a town
in St. Landry Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 1,040 at the 2000 census. Grand Coteau is on Interstate 49
south of Opelousas
and is part of the Opelousas–Eunice
Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town is a center for local farming. , the mayor
is Gail Lark.
government was in 1776 in the area referred to as Prairie des Femmes. In the early 19th century, Grand Coteau served as a stopping point for travelers between Washington, Louisiana
and St. Martinville, Louisiana
. The thriving community had two bakeries, a cobbler, millinery, and blacksmith
shop, a post office
, and an inn where stagecoaches changed horses.
In 1821, Mrs. Charles Smith, widow of a wealthy planter in Opelousas, donated land, a two-story building, and funds to pay for the travel expenses of two nuns from St. Charles, Missouri. The two nuns of the Religious of the Sacred Heart founded a convent
and a school that became the Academy of the Sacred Heart
.
On October 3, 1863, the Campaign of the Teche was commenced. The Ninety-ninth infantry regiment of Illinois
was in several skirmishes, and a detachment of the regiment, Captain A. C. Mathews commanding, was engaged in the Battle of Grand Coteau
. On November 9, they moved on to New Orleans. Although thousands of Union troops were encamped in the fields surrounding the Academy during the Civil War
, the school was not touched.
The Jesuits arrived in 1837 when St. Charles College was built. The settlement that grew up around the schools was called St. Charles Town before it was changed to Grand Coteau.
In the 19th century the population of Grand Coteau grew with Acadian
, Creole
French
, Irish
, and German immigrants. The town retains examples of Victorian architecture
from its mid-19th century boom.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,040 people, 377 households, and 260 families residing in the town. The population density
was 427.1 people per square mile (164.6/km²). There were 407 housing units at an average density of 167.1 per square mile (64.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 30.77% White, 67.69% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.
There were 377 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples
living together, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,943, and the median income for a family was $26,528. Males had a median income of $21,992 versus $16,000 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $9,728. About 25.2% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
St. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
, 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...
. The population was 1,040 at the 2000 census. Grand Coteau is on Interstate 49
Interstate 49
Interstate 49 is currently an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Interstate 10 while its northern terminus is in Shreveport, Louisiana, at Interstate 20.-Route...
south of Opelousas
Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas is a city in and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies at the junction of Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190. The population was 22,860 at the 2000 census. Although the 2006 population estimate was 23,222, a 2004 annexation should put the city's...
and is part of the Opelousas–Eunice
Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice is a city in Acadia, Evangeline and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 11,499 at the 2000 census.The St...
Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town is a center for local farming. , 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....
is Gail Lark.
History
The first known land grant by the colonial LouisianaLouisiana
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...
government was in 1776 in the area referred to as Prairie des Femmes. In the early 19th century, Grand Coteau served as a stopping point for travelers between Washington, Louisiana
Washington, Louisiana
Washington is a small town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,082 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area....
and St. Martinville, Louisiana
St. Martinville, Louisiana
St. Martinville is a city in and the parish seat of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on Bayou Teche, sixteen miles south of Breaux Bridge, eighteen miles southeast of Lafayette, and nine miles north of New Iberia. The population was 6,989 at the 2000 census. It is part of the...
. The thriving community had two bakeries, a cobbler, millinery, and blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, and an inn where stagecoaches changed horses.
In 1821, Mrs. Charles Smith, widow of a wealthy planter in Opelousas, donated land, a two-story building, and funds to pay for the travel expenses of two nuns from St. Charles, Missouri. The two nuns of the Religious of the Sacred Heart founded a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
and a school that became the Academy of the Sacred Heart
Academy of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau
The Academy of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1821 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, is an independent, Catholic school for girls in Pre-Kindergarten-3 through grade twelve, with residential accommodations for students in grades seven through twelve...
.
On October 3, 1863, the Campaign of the Teche was commenced. The Ninety-ninth infantry regiment of Illinois
99th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 99th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 99th Illinois Infantry was organized at Florence, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on August 23, 1862....
was in several skirmishes, and a detachment of the regiment, Captain A. C. Mathews commanding, was engaged in the Battle of Grand Coteau
Battle of Bayou Bourbeux
The Battle of Bayou Bourbeux also known as the Battle of Grand Coteau was fought in Southwestern Louisiana, west of the town of Grand Coteau, Louisiana during the American Civil War. The engagement was between the forces of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas Green and Union Brigadier General...
. On November 9, they moved on to New Orleans. Although thousands of Union troops were encamped in the fields surrounding the Academy during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the school was not touched.
The Jesuits arrived in 1837 when St. Charles College was built. The settlement that grew up around the schools was called St. Charles Town before it was changed to Grand Coteau.
In the 19th century the population of Grand Coteau grew with Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
, Creole
Louisiana Creole people
Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the colonial settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French and Spanish descent. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World...
French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, and German immigrants. The town retains examples of Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
from its mid-19th century boom.
Geography
Grand Coteau is located at 30°25′8"N 92°2′53"W (30.418861, -92.048174).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 town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 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 1,040 people, 377 households, and 260 families residing in the town. 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 427.1 people per square mile (164.6/km²). There were 407 housing units at an average density of 167.1 per square mile (64.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 30.77% White, 67.69% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.10% 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 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.
There were 377 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% 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, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $19,943, and the median income for a family was $26,528. Males had a median income of $21,992 versus $16,000 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 town was $9,728. About 25.2% of families and 29.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.