Jena, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Jena is a town in and the parish seat of La Salle Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census.
In September 2006, Jena became the focus of national news stories in the United States for a racial controversy involving its school system and a group of students known as the Jena Six
.
, Germany
, where French
Emperor
Napoleon I
won the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
in 1806.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 2,971 people, 1,135 households, and 749 families residing in the town. The population density
was 552.7 people per square mile (213.2/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 235.2 per square mile (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.56% White, 12.02% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.50% from other races
, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.
There were 1,135 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were 21 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $18,317 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,761. About 9.9% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
is also located in Jena.
The following schools serve Jena
, a home health, a 101 bed nursing home
, and physical therapy
. The hospital is currently undertaking a $4 million dollar expansion project.
La Salle Parish, Louisiana
La Salle Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of 2000, the population was 14,282. The parish seat is Jena.-Geography:The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
, 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 2,971 at the 2000 census.
In September 2006, Jena became the focus of national news stories in the United States for a racial controversy involving its school system and a group of students known as the Jena Six
Jena Six
The Jena Six were six black teenagers convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured in the assault by the members of the Jena Six, and received treatment for his injuries at an emergency room...
.
History
Jena was named for JenaJena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, 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...
, where French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Napoleon I
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
won the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia...
in 1806.
Geography
Jena is located at 31°41′24"N 92°7′29"W (31.689993, -92.124781) and has an elevation of 167 feet (50.9 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 town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all land.
Surrounding communities
- MidwayMidway, LouisianaMidway is a census-designated place in La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midway is located at ....
- Trout
- Nebo
- Webb Quarters
- Summerville
- Goodpine
- Possum Point
- Belah
- Fellowship
- White Sulphur Springs
- Mackerel
- Rogers
- Searcy
- Whitehall
- Rhinehart
- Sharptown
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 2,971 people, 1,135 households, and 749 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 552.7 people per square mile (213.2/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 235.2 per square mile (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.56% White, 12.02% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.50% 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 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.
There were 1,135 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were 21 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $18,317 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 $13,761. About 9.9% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.Wal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
has built a 100000 sq ft (9,290.3 m²). Supercenter on U.S. Route 84U.S. Route 84U.S. Route 84 is an east–west United States highway. It started as a short Georgia-Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme, but now extends all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short distance east of Midway, Georgia, at an intersection with I-95. The road continues...
West, a main east-west route between Interstate 49Interstate 49Interstate 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...
and NatchezNatchez, MississippiNatchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. - Ace HardwareAce HardwareAce Hardware Corporation is a hardware cooperative based in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States. ACE Hardware Corporation, with 4,444 stores, does over $3 billion in retail hardware sales annually down from its peak of $12.5 billion in 2007.-History:...
opened a new 28000 sq ft (2,601.3 m²) store in downtown Jena. - Southern Heritage Bank opened its new two-story, 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²). building.
- Homeland Federal Saving Bank of ColumbiaColumbia, LouisianaColumbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
, Louisiana, has opened a new branch in Jena. - Arrows Industries opened a new expansion and now employ more than one hundred people.
- Jena Town Hall has moved into the old Southern Heritage Bank building in downtown Jena.
- Dollar GeneralDollar GeneralDollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
has re-located to a larger facility across from McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. - GEO Group is currently expanding the former Wackenhut Corrections Facility to house detainees, costing $30 million dollars.
Education
The La Salle Parish School BoardLa Salle Parish School Board
La Salle Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Jena, Louisiana, United States, serving La Salle Parish. As of 2008 the superintendent of schools is Mr. Roy Breithaupt.The LaSalle Parish School District is divided into 10 wards....
is also located in Jena.
The following schools serve Jena
- Jena High SchoolJena High SchoolJena High School is a secondary school located in Jena, Louisiana, United States. The school, serving grades 9 through 12, is a part of the La Salle Parish School Board...
, 9–12 (Jena) - Jena Junior High School, 6,7, & 8 (Jena)
- Goodpine Middle School, 3,4, & 5 (Trout/Goodpine)
- Jena Elementary School, PreK - 2 (Jena)
- Fellowship Elementary School, Pre-K-8 (Belah)
- Nebo Elementary School, PreK-8 (Nebo)
- Temple Christian Academy, Private PreK-8 (Jena)
Infrastructure
Hospital Service District #2 of LaSalle Parish, also known as LaSalle General Hospital, is a 60-bed medical facility, with a 24 hour Emergency DepartmentEmergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, a home health, a 101 bed nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, and physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
. The hospital is currently undertaking a $4 million dollar expansion project.
Notable natives and residents
- Mike FrancisMike FrancisMichael Gordon Francis, known as Mike Francis , is a prominent Crowley businessman who was the chairman of the Republican Party in Louisiana from 1994–2000. A staunch fiscal and social conservative, Francis was an unsuccessful candidate for Secretary of State of Louisiana in a special election held...
, prominent businessman and former Louisiana Republican state chairman, was born in Jena. - Jason HatcherJason HatcherJason Dewayne Hatcher is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football at Grambling State University, and was drafted in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft....
, NFL player and member of the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. - Speedy O. LongSpeedy O. LongSpeedy Oteria Long was a Jena lawyer who was a Democratic U.S. Representative from central Louisiana between 1965 and 1973. Prior to his tenure in the since disbanded Eighth Congressional District, Speedy Long had been a member of the Louisiana state Senate...
(1928–2006), a member of the popular Long political dynasty. - Danny Ted McDowell, professional bull rider on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys AssociationProfessional Rodeo Cowboys AssociationThe Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is an organization whose members compete in rodeos throughout North America, primarily in the United States. The PRCA sanctions rodeo venues and events through the PRCA Circuit System. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo...
and Championship Bull Riding circuits. - Thomas D. "Tommy" Wright, former state representative from Jena
- Michael YoungMichael YoungMichael Young, Baron Young of Dartington was a British sociologist, social activist and politician who coined the term "meritocracy"....
, Major League Baseball player for the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
External links
- Jena Progress Community Progress Site for Jena, LA
- LaSalle General Hospital
- LaSalle Parish School Board
- Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge