St. Gabriel, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
St. Gabriel is a city in Iberville Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 6,677 at the 2010 census. The city of St. Gabriel includes the areas of Sunshine
and Carville
. It is part of the Baton Rouge
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
St. Gabriel was incorporated as a town in 1994 and received city designation in 2001. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River
, approximately 12 miles south of Baton Rouge. Bayou Manchac
serves as the official boundary between St. Gabriel, Ascension Parish
, and East Baton Rouge Parish
. Over the years, the area has been transformed from a primarily agricultural economy to one that is now dominated by the petrochemical industry.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 29.0 square miles (75.0 km²), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (0.76%) is water.
St. Gabriel sits along the east bank of the Mississippi River
, between the boundaries of Ascension Parish
and East Baton Rouge Parish
.
The city is about 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Baton Rouge
and about 70 miles (112.7 km) away from New Orleans
.
The communities of Carville
and Sunshine
are within the city limits.
of 2000, there were 5,514 people, 898 households, and 639 families residing in the town. The population density
was 191.9 people per square mile (74.1/km²). There were 986 housing units at an average density of 34.3 per square mile (13.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 27.08% White, 71.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races
, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.
There were 898 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the town the population was spread out with 13.8% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 46.9% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 147.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 156.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,352, and the median income for a family was $30,859. Males had a median income of $28,281 versus $19,167 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $8,952. About 23.0% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 25.3% of those age 65 or over.
, which was founded by the Acadians, after their expulsion from Nova Scotia
in the mid-18th century.
during the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
and Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
(LCIW), in St. Gabriel. LCIW houses the female death row.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Saint Gabriel Post Office.
operates the East Iberville School, a K–12 school, in St. Gabriel. For a long time it was the only school in St. Gabriel. The Iberville Math, Science, and Arts Academy opened in St. Gabriel in the fall of 2008. Some residents send their children to private schools in Greater Baton Rouge and in the Gonzales, Louisiana
area.
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Iberville Parish is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Plaquemine. The 2010 population of the parish was 33,387....
, 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 6,677 at the 2010 census. The city of St. Gabriel includes the areas of Sunshine
Sunshine, Louisiana
Sunshine is a northern neighborhood of the city of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located approximately 15 miles south of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River, the community was originally named Forlorn Hope by inhabitants but was given its current name by business...
and Carville
Carville, Louisiana
Carville is a neighborhood of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States that is 16 miles south of Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. Carville is the hometown of political personality James Carville and was named after his grandfather, the postmaster. It is also the location of...
. It is part of the 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Baton Rouge metropolitan area
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a sprawling area consisting of nine parishes in Louisiana, anchored by the city of Baton Rouge...
.
St. Gabriel was incorporated as a town in 1994 and received city designation in 2001. It is located on the east bank of 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...
, approximately 12 miles south of Baton Rouge. Bayou Manchac
Bayou Manchac
Bayou Manchac is an bayou in southeast Louisiana. This bayou was once a very important waterway linking the Mississippi River to the Amite River.-Exploration:...
serves as the official boundary between St. Gabriel, Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish, Louisiana
Ascension Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the fastest growing parish in the state. Its population is 107,215 which is 39.9% greater than the 2000 census...
, and East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
. Over the years, the area has been transformed from a primarily agricultural economy to one that is now dominated by the petrochemical industry.
Geography
St. Gabriel is located at 30°15′13"N 91°6′5"W (30.253739, -91.101305).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 29.0 square miles (75.0 km²), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (0.76%) is water.
St. Gabriel sits along the east bank of 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...
, between the boundaries of Ascension Parish
Ascension Parish, Louisiana
Ascension Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the fastest growing parish in the state. Its population is 107,215 which is 39.9% greater than the 2000 census...
and East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
.
The city is about 12 miles (19.3 km) east of 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...
and about 70 miles (112.7 km) away from 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...
.
The communities of Carville
Carville, Louisiana
Carville is a neighborhood of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States that is 16 miles south of Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River. Carville is the hometown of political personality James Carville and was named after his grandfather, the postmaster. It is also the location of...
and Sunshine
Sunshine, Louisiana
Sunshine is a northern neighborhood of the city of St. Gabriel in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located approximately 15 miles south of Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River, the community was originally named Forlorn Hope by inhabitants but was given its current name by business...
are within the city limits.
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 5,514 people, 898 households, and 639 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 191.9 people per square mile (74.1/km²). There were 986 housing units at an average density of 34.3 per square mile (13.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 27.08% White, 71.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% 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 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.
There were 898 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% 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, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the town the population was spread out with 13.8% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 46.9% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 147.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 156.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,352, and the median income for a family was $30,859. Males had a median income of $28,281 versus $19,167 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 $8,952. About 23.0% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 25.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
This area is in a part of AcadianaAcadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
, which was founded by the Acadians, after their expulsion from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in the mid-18th century.
Historical Sites
St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church is perhaps one of the oldest churches in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Tradition sets the date of the formation of the parish in 1761 http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/louisiana/stg.htm. The church steeple was destroyed by Hurricane GustavHurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
during the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Government and infrastructure
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates two prisons, Elayn Hunt Correctional CenterElayn Hunt Correctional Center
Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, is a multi-security- level Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections institution for adult men. It is the second largest prison in Louisiana. Elayn Hunt Correctional Center was featured on an episode of MSNBC's Lockup...
and Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women is a prison for women located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. It is the only female correctional facility of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is immediately west of LCIW...
(LCIW), in St. Gabriel. LCIW houses the female death row.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Saint Gabriel Post Office.
Primary and secondary schools
Iberville Parish School BoardIberville Parish School Board
Iberville Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Plaquemine, Louisiana, United States. The district serves Iberville Parish.-PreK-12 schools:* East Iberville Elementary and High School Iberville Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Plaquemine, Louisiana,...
operates the East Iberville School, a K–12 school, in St. Gabriel. For a long time it was the only school in St. Gabriel. The Iberville Math, Science, and Arts Academy opened in St. Gabriel in the fall of 2008. Some residents send their children to private schools in Greater Baton Rouge and in the Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,156 at the 2000 census. It has been called the "jambalaya capital of the world" and is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival. Gonzales is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.State...
area.