Madisonville, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Madisonville is a town
in St. Tammany Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 677 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans
–Metairie
–Kenner
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
(see inset), near where the river enters Lake Pontchartrain
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²), all of it land.
village of Chiconcte. In 1810 it was renamed in honor of President of the United States
James Madison
.
It was an important port providing bricks and other products of the towns along the Tchefuncte to New Orleans
in the decades before the American Civil War
. After the Union capture of New Orleans, this area remained under nominal Confederate
control, and the cut off of trade with New Orleans across "enemy lines" was devastating to the local economy, which did not recover for decades after the peace.
The opening of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
and associated highways gradually brought Madisonville into the sphere of Greater New Orleans in the late 20th century.
Much of the town flooded with the Lake Pontchartrain storm surge
of Hurricane Katrina
in 2005. The police station was destroyed by the floodwaters, along with the lower levels of the fire station. A temporary police substation was built by a Madisonville-based company, T. Sturdevant Inc/dba Barnstormers. The ruined police station was repaired by town workers and reopened for use, while the substation was left intact and is still used as the main office of the current Chief of Police, David Smith.
The Madisonville Lighthouse
was built in 1838 and is on the United States
National Register of Historic Places
. The land route to the lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy
in 1965, and it has since been accessible only by boat.
John Neely Kennedy, the current Louisiana State Treasurer, is a resident of Madisonville.
The ZIP code
is 70447.
The mayor of Madisonville owns a small restaurant, Badeaux's, on Mulberry St.
of 2000, there were 677 people, 302 households, and 186 families residing in the town. The population density
was 277.0 people per square mile (107.1/km²). There were 346 housing units at an average density of 141.6 per square mile (54.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.67% White, 10.04% Black, 0.74% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 1.77% from other races
, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 302 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $57,083. Males had a median income of $41,042 versus $19,375 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,114. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% 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. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....
, 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 677 at the 2000 census. It 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...
–Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
–Kenner
Kenner, Louisiana
Kenner is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 66,702 at the 2010 census....
Metropolitan Statistical Area
New Orleans metropolitan area
New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner, or the Greater New Orleans Region is a metropolitan area designated by the United States Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on the city of New Orleans...
.
Geography
Madisonville is located at 30°24′26"N 90°9′42"W (30.407179, -90.161716). Madisonville is on the banks of the Tchefuncte RiverTchefuncte River
The Tchefuncte River drains into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana in the United States. It is about long.In the 19th century it was an important commercial waterway, where building materials and other products of the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain were loaded to be shipped across the Lake to...
(see inset), near where the river enters 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...
.
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 (6.3 km²), all of it land.
History
Madisonville was founded by Jean Baptiste Baham in 1800 as the town of Cocquille or Cokie because of the abundance of shells in the area, at the site of the Native AmericanNative 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...
village of Chiconcte. In 1810 it was renamed in honor of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
.
It was an important port providing bricks and other products of the towns along the Tchefuncte to 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...
in the decades before 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...
. After the Union capture of New Orleans, this area remained under nominal Confederate
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...
control, and the cut off of trade with New Orleans across "enemy lines" was devastating to the local economy, which did not recover for decades after the peace.
The opening of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, consists of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is long...
and associated highways gradually brought Madisonville into the sphere of Greater New Orleans in the late 20th century.
Much of the town flooded with the Lake Pontchartrain storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
of 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...
in 2005. The police station was destroyed by the floodwaters, along with the lower levels of the fire station. A temporary police substation was built by a Madisonville-based company, T. Sturdevant Inc/dba Barnstormers. The ruined police station was repaired by town workers and reopened for use, while the substation was left intact and is still used as the main office of the current Chief of Police, David Smith.
Assorted facts
Madisonville hosts the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum (see inset), which puts on the Wooden Boat Festival each fall.The Madisonville Lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was built in 1838 and is on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The land route to the lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
in 1965, and it has since been accessible only by boat.
John Neely Kennedy, the current Louisiana State Treasurer, is a resident of Madisonville.
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...
is 70447.
The mayor of Madisonville owns a small restaurant, Badeaux's, on Mulberry St.
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 677 people, 302 households, and 186 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 277.0 people per square mile (107.1/km²). There were 346 housing units at an average density of 141.6 per square mile (54.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.67% White, 10.04% Black, 0.74% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 1.77% 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 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 302 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $57,083. Males had a median income of $41,042 versus $19,375 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 $25,114. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.