Westwego, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Westwego is a city in Jefferson Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
, and a suburb of New Orleans
. The population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west bank of the Mississippi River
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²): 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it is land, and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (10.64%) is water.
Salaville grew and the local railroad barons coined the name "Westwego". A number of industries grew around the city's wetlands and bayous, including those involving fisheries, shrimping, the canning of seafood, etc. Westwego was incorporated as a city in 1951 as its population continued to grow and grow. Within the last decade, Westwego has taken on a number of historical restoration projects, inspired by historian Daniel P. Alario, Sr.
In 1977, a grain elevator
in Westwego exploded due to a spark igniting grain dust. The explosion killed 36 people. The explosion prompted new safety developments in grain elevators.
of 2000, there were 10,763 people, 4,211 households, and 2,850 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,378.0 people per square mile (1,302.7/km²). There were 4,521 housing units at an average density of 1,418.9 per square mile (547.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.16% White, 20.02% African American, 0.94% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.91% from other races
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 4,211 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples
living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,218, and the median income for a family was $31,187. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $18,916 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,160. About 17.9% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
operates the Westwego Post Office.
Elementary schools taking portions of Westwego include Myrtle C. Thibodeaux Elementary School (formerly Westwego Elementary School) in Westwego, Butler Elementary School in Westwego, and Bridge City Elementary School in Bridge City
(an unincorporated area
). Middle school Westwego residents are zoned to Worley Middle School in Westwego, and high school residents are zoned to Higgins High School in an unincorporated area
.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic School is a private Catholic school in the city.
Jefferson Parish Library
operates the Edith S. Lawson Library in Westwego.
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
, 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...
, and a suburb of 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 population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west 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...
.
Geography
Westwego is located at 29°54′11"N 90°8′35"W (29.902986, -90.142932) and has an elevation of 0 foot (0 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 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²): 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it is land, and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (10.64%) is water.
Name
One story states generally that Westwego was so named because it was a major crossing point on the Mississippi river during the great westward movement of the late 19th century. When travelers were asked their destination, they would often reply "west we go". Another more specific tale, recounted in John Churchill Chase's Frenchmen, Desire Good, Children is that the name was the specific outcome of an 1871 meeting of a railroad board of directors in New York, where planning was undertaken to use the site as an eastern terminus ("...west we go from there"). There has been further speculation that this use of "Westwego" as a place name may have been influenced by the board members' familiarity with the name of Oswego, New York.History
The area of Westwego, Louisiana was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans settled here. These indigenous people created huge shells middens that can still be seen in the vicinity today. The French first developed the area in 1719 when French Minister of State LeBlanc started a plantation and a port along the Mississippi River. The port became an important site in the history of the transatlantic slave trade. The estate was later owned by the Zeringue family, who turned it into bustling sugar plantation, known as Seven Oaks. Planter Camille Zeringue built a canal at the plantation that played a prominent role in the community's history for decades. Other antebellum plantations in the area included the Whitehouse Plantation, Magnolia Lane, and the LaBranche Plantation among others. After Camille Zeringue's death, Seven Oaks was owned by Pablo Sala, who divided the property along the canal into lots, which he sold for $40 each. Many of these lots were purchased by displaced hurricane victims from Cheniere Caminada whose homes were destroyed in the great unnamed 1893 storm. With the addition of these families, who were mostly fisherman and trappers, the community of Salaville was born.Salaville grew and the local railroad barons coined the name "Westwego". A number of industries grew around the city's wetlands and bayous, including those involving fisheries, shrimping, the canning of seafood, etc. Westwego was incorporated as a city in 1951 as its population continued to grow and grow. Within the last decade, Westwego has taken on a number of historical restoration projects, inspired by historian Daniel P. Alario, Sr.
In 1977, a grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
in Westwego exploded due to a spark igniting grain dust. The explosion killed 36 people. The explosion prompted new safety developments in grain elevators.
Events
Westwego holds a weekly farmers market on Sala Avenue, featuring fresh produce, barbecue, and local bands.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 10,763 people, 4,211 households, and 2,850 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 3,378.0 people per square mile (1,302.7/km²). There were 4,521 housing units at an average density of 1,418.9 per square mile (547.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.16% White, 20.02% African American, 0.94% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.91% 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 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 4,211 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% 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, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,218, and the median income for a family was $31,187. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $18,916 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 $13,160. About 17.9% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited 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 Westwego Post Office.
Education
The public schools in Westwego are operated by the Jefferson Parish Public School System.Elementary schools taking portions of Westwego include Myrtle C. Thibodeaux Elementary School (formerly Westwego Elementary School) in Westwego, Butler Elementary School in Westwego, and Bridge City Elementary School in Bridge City
Bridge City, Louisiana
Bridge City is an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was established in the 1930s during the construction of the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River. The town is located on the West Bank of the river. It is part of the New...
(an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
). Middle school Westwego residents are zoned to Worley Middle School in Westwego, and high school residents are zoned to Higgins High School in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic School is a private Catholic school in the city.
Jefferson Parish Library
Jefferson Parish Library
Jefferson Parish Library is the library system of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It has its headquarters in the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie, an unincorporated area in the parish.-Branches:East Bank:...
operates the Edith S. Lawson Library in Westwego.
Notable natives and residents
- John AlarioJohn AlarioJohn A. Alario, Jr. , is an American businessman from Westwego in Jefferson Parish in the New Orleans suburbs, who is the dean of the Louisiana State Legislature, having served consecutively in the law-making body since 1972. He was the District 83 member of the Louisiana House of Representatives...
, dean of the Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana State LegislatureThe 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... - Sidney Arnondin, jazz writer of the song "Lazy River(Up a) Lazy River" Lazy River" is a popular song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The song is considered a jazz and pop standard, and has been recorded by many artists.-Recorded versions:*Acker Bilk*Adam Faith...
" was a resident of and born in Westwego, March 29, 1901 - Ted HaggardTed HaggardTed Arthur Haggard is an American evangelical pastor. Known as Pastor Ted to the congregation he served, he was the founder and former pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches; and was leader of the National Association of...
, former Evangelical preacher, lived there for a short while in 2007 after a gay prostitution scandal - Skyler GreenSkyler GreenSkyler Green is a professional gridiron football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently playing for the AFL New Orleans VooDoo. He most recently played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL...
, raised in Westwego, professional football wide receiver and return specialist