Hammond, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Hammond is the largest city
in Tangipahoa Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University
. The city was the home base for production of the first season of the NBC
television series In the Heat of the Night
.
Hammond is the principal city of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Tangipahoa Parish.
(Peter of Hammerdal)—a Swedish
immigrant who first settled the area around 1818. Peter, a sailor, had been briefly imprisoned by the British at Dartmoor Prison during the Napoleonic Wars
; he broke jail, made his way back to the sea, and later left his ship in New Orleans, where he used his savings to buy then-inexpensive land northwest of Lake Pontchartrain
. There he started a plantation to grow trees, which he made into masts, charcoal, and other products for the maritime industry in New Orleans. He transported the goods first to the head of navigation on the Natalbany River at Springfield, Louisiana
.
In 1854, the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad (later the Illinois Central Railroad
, now Canadian National Railway
) came through the area, launching the city's emergence as a commercial and transport center. The point where the railroad met Peter's trail to Springfield was at first known as Hammond's Crossing. Peter Hammond is buried on the east side of town under the Hammond Oak along with his wife, three daughters, and a favorite slave boy
(see inset showing the spreading oak at gravesite).
During the American Civil War
, the city was a shoemaking center for the Confederacy
. It later became a major shipping point for strawberries, earning it the title of "the Strawberry
Capital of America".
Today, Hammond is intersected by Interstates 12
and 55
. Its airport has a long runway which serves as a backup landing site for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
and serves as a major training site for the Louisiana Army National Guard
. Approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Hammond, on both the railroad and Interstate 10, lies Port Manchac
, which provides egress via Lake Ponchartrain with the Gulf of Mexico
. The combination of highway-rail-air-sea transportation has transformed modern Hammond from a strawberry capitol to a transportation capital. The city hosts numerous warehouses and is a distribution point for Walmart and other businesses, and Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond offers the state's only academic degree in supply chain management
.
The 19th-century shoemaking industry was the work of Charles Emery Cate
, who bought land in the city in 1860 for a home, a shoe factory, tannery and sawmill. Toward the end of the war, Cate laid out the city grid, using the rail line as a guide and naming several of the streets after his sons.
After the American Civil War, light industry and commercial activities were attracted to the town. By the end of the century, the town had become a stopping point for northerners traveling south and for New Orleanians heading north to escape summer yellow fever
outbreaks.
In the 1920s, David William Thomas
edited a weekly newspaper in Hammond prior to moving to Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish. There, he was elected mayor
in 1936.
In 1932 Hodding Carter
founded the now-defunct Hammond Daily Courier, which he left in 1939 to move to Greenville, Mississippi
, where he later received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Civil Rights Movement
.
During World War II
, the Hammond Airport (now Hammond Northshore Regional Airport
) served as a detention camp for prisoners of war from Nazi Germany
. Additionally, the U.S. Army established and used the 15216 acres (61.6 km²) Hammond Bombing and Gunnery Range east of the city.
In 1953, John Desmond
opened the first architectural firm in Hammond. He was chief architect of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board for some two decade
s before he relocated to Baton Rouge
.
In 1980, police arrest a man for painting a picture of Mickey Mouse
flipping the bird and saying "Hey Iran
"
After Hurricane Katrina
, New Orleans attorney
, political activist, and state government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
relocated to Hammond in 2006. Lawson Swearingen
, a former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate
and a former president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe
, resides in Hammond, where he is a professor
of management at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Hammond's proximity to New Orleans and Baton Rouge - less than an hour from each - has begun to stimulate growth. Tangipahoa Parish is becoming one of the newest suburbs to both cities. Hammond and Tangipahoa Parish are now among the fastest-growing cities and parishes in Louisiana. There is an abundance of new development, both commercial and residential, as well as numerous hotels which absorb overflowing demand for rooms near major events in New Orleans.
Among the city's cultural attractions is the Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum & Black Veteran Archives. This is one of the destinations on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
.
Southeastern's Columbia Theatre, constructed in 1928 and renovated in the 1990s for $5.6 million, is a significant cultural venue in Hammond's Historic District.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²), of which, 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²) of it is land and 0.08% is water.
of 2009, there were 20,037 people, 6,251 households, and 3,706 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,383.4 people per square mile (534.2/km²). There were 7,014 housing units at an average density of 550.1 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.43% White, 45.20% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,251 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples
living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 23.1% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years, which is 7 years younger than the state-wide median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,067, and the median income for a family was $31,617. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $18,533 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,145. About 24.9% of families and 32.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.7% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
is a large regional university based in Hammond and is one of the city's largest employers. It was established in 1925 through the efforts of the educator Linus A. Sims
, then the principal of Hammond High School
. The city's public schools are part of the Tangipahoa Parish School System and include Hammond High School, Hammond Junior High, Eastside Elementary, Westside Elementary, Southeastern Louisiana University Laboratory School, and Crystal Academy (alternative school).
The Catholic Church operates two schools in Hammond: Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
, which is just north of the city, and Holy Ghost Catholic School (pre-kindergarten through 8th grades). In addition, Trafton Academy (pre-K through 8th) is a private school serving area students.
, the national passenger rail system, is a common sight in Hammond. The old station is still in use and is located right in the middle of downtown.
Hammond is 40 miles (64.4 km) from Baton Rouge, 46 miles (74 km) from New Orleans, 89 miles (143.2 km) from Gulfport, Mississippi
, and 110 miles (177 km) from Jackson, Mississippi
.
Two U.S. Highways serve the city:
State highways serving the area include:
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Tangipahoa Parish
Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Tangipahoa Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, one of the Florida Parishes. The parish seat is Amite City, but the major city is Hammond. As of 2006, the population was 113,137...
, 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 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
. The city was the home base for production of the first season of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night (TV series)
In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
.
Hammond is the principal city of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Tangipahoa Parish.
History
The city is named for Peter Hammond (1797–1870)—possibly anglicized from Peter av HammerdalHammerdal
Hammerdal is a locality situated in Strömsund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 996 inhabitants in 2005. It is historically associated with Hammond, Louisiana, USA, by way of a Swedish immigrant who founded the Louisiana city....
(Peter of Hammerdal)—a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
immigrant who first settled the area around 1818. Peter, a sailor, had been briefly imprisoned by the British at Dartmoor Prison during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
; he broke jail, made his way back to the sea, and later left his ship in New Orleans, where he used his savings to buy then-inexpensive land northwest of Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
. There he started a plantation to grow trees, which he made into masts, charcoal, and other products for the maritime industry in New Orleans. He transported the goods first to the head of navigation on the Natalbany River at Springfield, Louisiana
Springfield, Louisiana
Springfield is a town in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 395 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Springfield is located at ....
.
In 1854, the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad (later the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
, now Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
) came through the area, launching the city's emergence as a commercial and transport center. The point where the railroad met Peter's trail to Springfield was at first known as Hammond's Crossing. Peter Hammond is buried on the east side of town under the Hammond Oak along with his wife, three daughters, and a favorite slave boy
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
(see inset showing the spreading oak at gravesite).
During the American 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 city was a shoemaking center for 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...
. It later became a major shipping point for strawberries, earning it the title of "the Strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
Capital of America".
Today, Hammond is intersected by Interstates 12
Interstate 12
Interstate 12 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana. I-12 starts in Baton Rouge at Interstate 10, and travels along the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain before ending at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 59 near Slidell...
and 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
. Its airport has a long runway which serves as a backup landing site for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a Class B public use international airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 10 nautical miles west of its central business district. The airport's address is 900 Airline Drive...
and serves as a major training site for the Louisiana Army National Guard
Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force...
. Approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Hammond, on both the railroad and Interstate 10, lies Port Manchac
Manchac, Louisiana
Manchac is a small unincorporated community in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, which provides egress via Lake Ponchartrain with the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The combination of highway-rail-air-sea transportation has transformed modern Hammond from a strawberry capitol to a transportation capital. The city hosts numerous warehouses and is a distribution point for Walmart and other businesses, and Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond offers the state's only academic degree in supply chain management
Supply chain management
Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
.
The 19th-century shoemaking industry was the work of Charles Emery Cate
Charles Emery Cate
Charles Emery Cate was the 19th-century developer of Hammond's Crossing into Hammond, Louisiana.Originally from the northern United States, he founded the city's oldest church and established a factory in Hammond for manufacture of shoes used by the Confederate Army during the American Civil War...
, who bought land in the city in 1860 for a home, a shoe factory, tannery and sawmill. Toward the end of the war, Cate laid out the city grid, using the rail line as a guide and naming several of the streets after his sons.
After the American Civil War, light industry and commercial activities were attracted to the town. By the end of the century, the town had become a stopping point for northerners traveling south and for New Orleanians heading north to escape summer yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
outbreaks.
In the 1920s, David William Thomas
David William Thomas
David William Thomas, Sr. , was a Welsh-American "Renaissance man", journalist, university professor and attorney who served from 1936—1940]] as mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Early years and education:A native of Cardiff, Wales,...
edited a weekly newspaper in Hammond prior to moving to Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish. There, he was elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in 1936.
In 1932 Hodding Carter
Hodding Carter
William Hodding Carter, II was a prominent Southern U.S. progressive journalist and author. Carter was born in Hammond, the largest community in Tangipahoa Parish, in southeastern Louisiana, to William Hodding Carter, I , and the former Irma Dutartre...
founded the now-defunct Hammond Daily Courier, which he left in 1939 to move to Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
, where he later received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
.
During 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...
, the Hammond Airport (now Hammond Northshore Regional Airport
Hammond Northshore Regional Airport
Hammond Northshore Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Hammond, a city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States.Although most U.S...
) served as a detention camp for prisoners of war from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Additionally, the U.S. Army established and used the 15216 acres (61.6 km²) Hammond Bombing and Gunnery Range east of the city.
In 1953, John Desmond
John Desmond
John Jacob Desmond was an American architect in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who designed such public buildings as the Baton Rouge River Center, the Louisiana State University Student Union, Bluebonnet Swamp Interpretive Center, Louisiana Arts and Sciences Center, Louisiana State Archives, the...
opened the first architectural firm in Hammond. He was chief architect of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board for some two decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s before he relocated to 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...
.
In 1980, police arrest a man for painting a picture of Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
flipping the bird and saying "Hey Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
"
After Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, New Orleans attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, political activist, and state government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
C.B. Forgotston
Charlton Bath Forgotston, Jr., known as C.B. Forgotston , is an attorney, political pundit, and state government watchdog who resides in Hammond, the principal city of Tangipahoa Parish, a part of the Florida Parishes east of Baton Rouge in southeastern Louisiana...
relocated to Hammond in 2006. Lawson Swearingen
Lawson Swearingen
Lawson Lewis Swearingen, Jr. , is a former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, having represented District 34 from 1980 to 1991, and a former president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, whose tenure extended from 1991 to 2001.-Early life:Swearingen was born in San Antonio,...
, a former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate
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...
and a former president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, resides in Hammond, where he is a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of management at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Hammond's proximity to New Orleans and Baton Rouge - less than an hour from each - has begun to stimulate growth. Tangipahoa Parish is becoming one of the newest suburbs to both cities. Hammond and Tangipahoa Parish are now among the fastest-growing cities and parishes in Louisiana. There is an abundance of new development, both commercial and residential, as well as numerous hotels which absorb overflowing demand for rooms near major events in New Orleans.
Among the city's cultural attractions is the Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum & Black Veteran Archives. This is one of the destinations on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail
Louisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
Southeastern's Columbia Theatre, constructed in 1928 and renovated in the 1990s for $5.6 million, is a significant cultural venue in Hammond's Historic District.
Geography
Hammond is located at 30°30′16"N 90°27′56"W (30.504446, -90.465616) and has an elevation of 43 feet (13.1 m).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 city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²), of which, 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²) of it is land and 0.08% 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 2009, there were 20,037 people, 6,251 households, and 3,706 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 1,383.4 people per square mile (534.2/km²). There were 7,014 housing units at an average density of 550.1 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.43% White, 45.20% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% 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 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,251 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% 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, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 23.1% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years, which is 7 years younger than the state-wide median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,067, and the median income for a family was $31,617. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $18,533 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 $15,145. About 24.9% of families and 32.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.7% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Southeastern Louisiana UniversitySoutheastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
is a large regional university based in Hammond and is one of the city's largest employers. It was established in 1925 through the efforts of the educator Linus A. Sims
Linus A. Sims
Linus Arthur Sims was an educator and administrator who was the driving force behind the establishment of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. In 1925, Sims created Hammond Junior College, which became the former Southeastern Louisiana College in 1928...
, then the principal of Hammond High School
Hammond High School (Louisiana)
Hammond Magnet High School, founded in 1866, is a public high school located in an unincorporated part of the 7th Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, east of Hammond. It is the second largest high school in the Tangipahoa Parish Public School System...
. The city's public schools are part of the Tangipahoa Parish School System and include Hammond High School, Hammond Junior High, Eastside Elementary, Westside Elementary, Southeastern Louisiana University Laboratory School, and Crystal Academy (alternative school).
The Catholic Church operates two schools in Hammond: Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School (Hammond, Louisiana)
Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Hammond, Louisiana. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge....
, which is just north of the city, and Holy Ghost Catholic School (pre-kindergarten through 8th grades). In addition, Trafton Academy (pre-K through 8th) is a private school serving area students.
Rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, is a common sight in Hammond. The old station is still in use and is located right in the middle of downtown.
Highways
Part of Hammond's success is due to its location at the junction of two heavily travelled interstate highways:-
Interstate 12Interstate 12Interstate 12 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana. I-12 starts in Baton Rouge at Interstate 10, and travels along the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain before ending at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 59 near Slidell...
, from Baton Rouge to SlidellSlidell, LouisianaSlidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000... -
Interstate 55Interstate 55Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
, from LaplaceLaplace, LouisianaLaPlace is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the east bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The population is 32,134 at the 2010 census....
(west of New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaNew 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...
) to Chicago, Illinois
Hammond is 40 miles (64.4 km) from Baton Rouge, 46 miles (74 km) from New Orleans, 89 miles (143.2 km) from Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, and 110 miles (177 km) from Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
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Two U.S. Highways serve the city:
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U.S. Highway 51 (Morrison Boulevard) splits from I-55 between Hammond and PonchatoulaPonchatoula, LouisianaPonchatoula is a city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,180 at the 2000 census. Ponchatoula calls itself the "Strawberry Capital of the World". It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area. The current mayor is Bob Zabbia.-Geography:Ponchatoula is...
and parallels I-55 northward through the city's western side. U.S. 51 BusinessBusiness routeA business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
, which follows the original route of U.S. 51, leaves the parent 51 south of Ponchatoula and rejoins it after meeting US 190 in downtown Hammond and forming a concurrency with 190 until it meets US 51.
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U.S. Highway 190 (Thomas Street / Morris Avenue) parallels I-12 and goes east-west through the city's commercial and historic downtown areas.
State highways serving the area include:
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LA 443 (Morris Road) -
LA 1040 (Chauvin Drive and Old Baton Rouge Highway) -
LA 1064 (Natalbany Road, River Road) -
LA 1065 (North Cherry Street) - LA 1067 (Old Covington Highway)
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LA 3158 (Airport Road) - LA 3234 (University Avenue, continuation of Wardline Road, serving Southeastern Louisiana University)
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LA 3260 (West Church Street Extension) - LA 1249 (Pumpkin Center Road)
Media
Hammond is overlapped by most of the mass media in Baton Rouge and New Orleans and has the following mass media of its own:- Action News 17http://www.actionnews17.com area Charter CommunicationsCharter CommunicationsCharter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
Channel 17: virtual television internet streaming freely available at the Action News 17 site - Daily StarDaily Star (Hammond)The Daily & Sunday Star is a newspaper published in Hammond, Louisiana, by the Daily Star Publishing Company, located at 725 South Morrison Boulevard, ZIP 70403-5401. As of 2011 the publisher is Keenan Gingles, the executive editor is Lil Mirando, and the city editor is Heidi Rogers Kinchen...
newspaper - KSLUKSLUKSLU is a radio station broadcasting a Album Adult Alternative format. Licensed to Hammond, Louisiana, USA, the station serves the Lake Ponchartrain area. The station is currently owned by Southeastern Louisiana University and features programming from Public Radio International...
FM 90.9 (Southeastern Louisiana UniversitySoutheastern Louisiana UniversitySoutheastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
) - WSTY-TV Channel 23
- WHMDWHMDWHMD is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Hammond, Louisiana, USA, the station serves Tangipahoa Parish and surrounding areas. The station is currently owned by North Shore Broadcasting Co. -History:...
FM 107.1 radio - WFPR AM 1400
- WKJNWKJNWKJN is a Gospel formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Centreville, Mississippi, serving Wilkinson and Amite counties in Mississippi and East Feliciana Parish in Louisiana. WKJN is owned and operated by Southwest Broadcasting, Inc....
FM 107.1 radio (also known as "Kajun Radio") - WTGG FM 96.5
- Hammond Action Newshttp://www.hammondactionnews.com Satirical look at local news.Reliable.Fast.Sexy.