St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The parish seat is St. Martinville
. As of the 2000 census, the population
was 48,583.
St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette
Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana
Combined Statistical Area
.
was created by the Louisiana Legislature. St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States.
. The total area is 9.38% water.
of 2000, there were 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 66 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 65.95% White
, 31.98% Black
or African American
, 0.92% Asian
, 0.29% Native American
, 0.20% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics
or Latinos
of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only English
at home, 27.44% reported speaking French
(Colonial French
also known as Plantation Society French ) or Cajun French
at home, while 1.52% speak Louisiana Creole French
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=99&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 17,164 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples
living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over.
.
Geology
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The parish seat is St. Martinville
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...
. As of the 2000 census, the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 48,583.
St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana
Acadiana
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...
Combined Statistical Area
Lafayette-Acadiana combined statistical area
The Lafayette-Acadiana Combined Statistical Area is made up of six parishes in the Acadiana region of southern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area and four micropolitan statistical areas - Abbeville, Crowley, New Iberia, and Opelousas-Eunice...
.
History
The parish is split into two noncontiguous parts because of a surveying error dating to 1868, when Iberia ParishIberia Parish, Louisiana
Iberia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Iberia. As of 2000, the population was 73,266.Iberia Parish is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.Iberia, along with...
was created by the Louisiana Legislature. St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 816 square miles (2,113.4 km²), of which, 740 square miles (1,916.6 km²) of it is land and 77 square miles (199.4 km²) of it is waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 9.38% water.
Major highways
Interstate 10
Louisiana Highway 31
Louisiana Highway 70Louisiana Highway 70Louisiana Highway 70 is a state highway in Louisiana that serves St. Mary, St. Martin, Assumption, and Ascension Parishes. It is primarily a two-lane highway that spans .-Route description:...
Adjacent parishes
Iberia Parish divides St. Martin Parish into two parts. In addition, the following parishes are also adjacent:- St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish, LouisianaSt. 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...
(north) - Pointe Coupee ParishPointe Coupee Parish, LouisianaPointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and , is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Roads. As of 2000, the population was 22,763....
(northeast) - Iberville ParishIberville Parish, LouisianaIberville 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....
(east) - Assumption ParishAssumption Parish, LouisianaAssumption Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and was formed in 1807 as an original parish of the Louisiana Territory. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. In 2000, its population was 23,388. Assumption is one of the 22 Acadiana parishes. Its major product is sugarcane...
(southeast) - St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish, LouisianaSt. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
(southwest) - Lafayette ParishLafayette Parish, LouisianaLafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lafayette. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578....
(west) - Iberia ParishIberia Parish, LouisianaIberia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Iberia. As of 2000, the population was 73,266.Iberia Parish is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.Iberia, along with...
(South of Upper St. Martin/North of Lower St. Martin)
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 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. 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 66 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 65.95% White
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...
, 31.98% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.92% Asian
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...
, 0.29% Native American
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...
, 0.20% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics
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...
or Latinos
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...
of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at home, 27.44% reported speaking French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(Colonial French
Colonial French
Colonial French or Colonial Louisiana French is one of the three dialects into which Louisiana French is typically divided . Formerly spoken widely in what is now the U.S...
also known as Plantation Society French ) or Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
at home, while 1.52% speak Louisiana Creole French
Louisiana Creole French
Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. The language consists of elements of French, Spanish, African, and Native American roots.-Geography:...
.http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=99&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
There were 17,164 households out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% 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, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.50% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 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 parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
|
Henderson, Louisiana Henderson is a town in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,531 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area... Parks, Louisiana Parks is a village in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 533 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.... |
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... |
Education
Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the St. Martin Parish School BoardSt. Martin Parish School Board
The St. Martin Parish School Board is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the city of St. Martinville.-Schools:...
.
Notable natives and residents
- Ali LandryAli LandryAli Germaine Landry is a former Miss USA , model and actress. She is perhaps best known as the Doritos Girl from her 1998 Super Bowl commercial, and for her portrayal of Rita Lefleur on the UPN sitcom Eve. In 1998, she was named by People magazine as one of 50 most beautiful people in the world.-...
, Miss USA 1996Miss USA 1996Miss USA 1996, the forty-fifth Miss USA pageant, was held at South Padre Island, Texas culminating in the final competition and crowning on February 2, 1996....
pageant winner (actually from Nina Station) - Bob AngelleBob AngelleRobert Joseph Angelle, known as Bob Angelle , was a businessman and politician from Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, who was the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1957-1960, the last term of Governor Earl Kemp Long. Angelle was part of the powerful Long faction of Louisiana...
, mayor - Scott AngelleScott AngelleScott Anthony Angelle is a former lieutenant governor of Louisiana. He was appointed to the position by Governor Bobby Jindal and confirmed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2010, when Mitch Landrieu resigned the lieutenant governorship to become mayor of New Orleans...
, lieutenant governor - Drauzin AngelleDrauzin AngelleDrauzin Angelle was a farmer and a politician from St. Martin Parish in south Louisiana. As the chief deputy sheriff from 1924 until his death, Angelle became a Democratic power broker in his largely rural sugar-producing parish.Born in the Fifth Ward of St...
, chief deputy in 1924 - Jake DelhommeJake DelhommeJake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the NFL's Cleveland Browns - Mike "Pete" HuvalMike "Pete" HuvalMichael Paul Huval, known as Mike "Pete" Huval , is an insurance agent from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 47 in St. Martin Parish....
, state representative; former member of the St. Martin Parish Council - James D. SimonJames D. SimonJames Dudley Simon was a Democratic politician and jurist who capped his career with elected service on the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1955 to 1960.-Biography:...
, state senator - Wade O. Martin, Jr.Wade O. Martin, Jr.Wade Omer Martin, Jr. was the Democratic Secretary of State of Louisiana under five governors, having served from 1944 to 1976...
, secretary of stateSecretary of StateSecretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
. - Wade O. Martin, Sr.Wade O. Martin, Sr.Wade Omer Martin, Sr. was a Louisiana planter, educator, and politician allied with the Huey Pierce Long, Jr., faction of the Democratic Party. Martin's longest tenure was as the former District 2 member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, having served for twenty-four years, beginning...
, Louisiana public service commissionerLouisiana Public Service CommissionLouisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
. - Calvin BorelCalvin BorelCalvin H. Borel is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby...
, American Thoroughbred Jockey and 3-time Kentucky DerbyKentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
winner
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Martin Parish, LouisianaNational Register of Historic Places listings in St. Martin Parish, LouisianaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States...
External links
Geology
- Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle. Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.