# Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

Jefferson Davis Parish (French: Paroisse de Jefferson Davis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,250. The parish seat is Jennings. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern Louisiana and forms a part of the Acadiana region.

## History

Jefferson Davis Parish was one of the last parishes to be organized in the state of Louisiana. It was originally a part of Imperial Calcasieu Parish, which contributed to five other parishes as the population increased in the area. The bill creating Jefferson Davis Parish was passed by the state legislature in 1912 but did not take effect until 1913. Jefferson Davis Parish is part of the large, 22-county Acadiana region of Louisiana, which is influenced by a large Francophone population. It was named after Jefferson Davis, a prominent planter and the President of the Confederate States of America.
The first oil in Louisiana was drilled in 1901 in Evangeline, Acadia Parish, by W. Scott Heywood, who in 1932 was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. The oil field was known as the Jennings Oil Field because Jennings was the nearest railroad stop to the oil field.
The parish was affected by Hurricane Rita in 2005, causing flooding and wind damage.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 660 square miles (1,700 km$^2$), of which 651 square miles (1,690 km$^2$) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km$^2$) (1.1%) is water.
Jefferson Davis Parish comprises five incorporated towns including Elton, Fenton, Jennings, Lake Arthur, and Welsh. There are also many unincorporated areas that add to the interest and economic structure of the parish including Barnsdall, Buller, China, Coverdale, Edna, Fontenot, Foreman's Hall, Hathaway, Illinois Plant, Lacassine, Lauderdale, Panchoville, Pine Island, Raymond, Roanoke, Silverwood, Thornwell, Topsy, Verret, and Woodlawn. Interstate 10 runs east and west through the center of the parish, providing access to local markets. Additionally, the Union Pacific Railroad is centrally located within the parish and the Mermentau River, which connects to the Intracoastal Waterway and has a channel depth of nine feet, provides access to the Port of Mermentau. The Jennings Airport, with a runway length of 5,000 feet (1,500 m), is capable of landing a small jet and is located next to Interstate 10. Jefferson Davis Parish also attracts sportsmen to the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge.

### Adjacent parishes

* Allen Parish (north)
* Evangeline Parish (northeast)
* Acadia Parish (east)
* Vermilion Parish (southeast)
* Cameron Parish (south)
* Calcasieu Parish (west)
* Beauregard Parish (northwest)

## Transportation
### Major highways

* Interstate 10
* U.S. Highway 90
* U.S. Highway 165
* U.S. Highway 190
* Louisiana Highway 14
* Louisiana Highway 26
* Louisiana Highway 97
* Louisiana Highway 99
* Louisiana Highway 101
* Louisiana Highway 102
* Louisiana Highway 380
* Louisiana Highway 382
* Louisiana Highway 395
* Louisiana Highway 1130
* Louisiana Highway 3055

### Airports

* Jennings, (3R7)
* Welsh

## Communities
### City

* Jennings (parish seat and largest municipality)

### Towns

* Elton
* Lake Arthur
* Welsh

### Village

* Fenton

### Unincorporated areas
#### Census-designated places

* Hathaway
* Lacassine
* Roanoke

#### Unincorporated communities

* Barnsdall
* Buller
* China
* Edna
* Fontenot
* Foreman's Hall
* Gravel Point
* Lauderdale
* Niblett
* Panchoville
* Pine Island
* Raymond
* Silverwood
* Thornwell
* Topsy
* Verrett
* Woodlawn

## Demographics

Jefferson Davis Parish racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 24,855 | 77.07% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,130 | 15.91% |
| Native American | 147 | 0.46% |
| Asian | 100 | 0.31% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,280 | 3.97% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 734 | 2.28% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,250 people, 11,726 households, and 8,149 families residing in the parish.

## Education

Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates the schools in the parish.
* Elton Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Elton)
* Elton High School (Grades 6–12) (Elton)
* Fenton Elementary School (Grades PK-8) (Fenton)
* Hathaway High School (Grades K-12) (Jennings)
* Jennings Elementary School (Grades 3–6) (Jennings)
* Jennings High School (Grades 7–12) (Jennings)
* Lacassine High School (Grades K-12) (Lacassine)
* Lake Arthur Elementary School (Grades PK-6) (Lake Arthur)
* Lake Arthur High School (Grades 7–12) (Lake Arthur)
* James Ward Elementary School (Grades PK-2) (Jennings)
* Welsh Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Welsh)
* Welsh High School (Grades 8–12) (Welsh)
* Welsh-Roanoke Jr. High School (Grades 6–8) (Roanoke)
Jeff Davis Parish is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette which has one school in the parish:
* Our Lady Immaculate (Grades PK-8) (Jennings)
Jeff Davis Parish is served by one institution of higher education:
* It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College. The Morgan Smith campus is located in Jennings.

## National Guard

C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Jennings, Louisiana. This unit as part of the 256th IBCT deployed twice to Iraq in 2004—5 and 2010.

## Notable people

* A.C. Clemons (1921-1992), former Louisiana state senator from 1960 to 1972
* Al Woods (born 1987), current American football player for the New York Jets of the NFL
* Thomas A. "Tom" Greene (born 1948), former Louisiana state senator from 1992 to 2000
* Travis Etienne (born 1999), current American football player for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL
* Cleve Francis (born 1945), country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist
* Monte Ledbetter (1943-2020), former American football player in the NFL
* Eugene John Hebert (1923-1990), priest and Jesuit missionary who famously disappeared in Sri Lanka in 1990 during the Sri Lankan civil war
* Canray Fontenot (1922-1995), American Creole musician
* Lance Guidry (born 1971), American football coach, defensive coordinator at the University of Miami
* Charles Mann (born 1944), singer and swamp pop performer and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
* Jack Doland (1928-1991), former Louisiana state senator and head football coach, athletic director, and president of McNeese State University
* Chancy Croft (born 1937), former Democratic politician from Alaska
* Avalon Daggett (1907-2002), filmmaker and philanthropist
* June James (1962-1990), former American football player in the NFL and CFL
* Pat Rapp (born 1967), former professional baseball player
* Guy Sockrider (1921-2011), former Louisiana state senator
* Donald Ellsworth Walter (born 1936), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
* Phillip Walker (1937-2010), musician
* Troy Romero, current Louisiana State Representative from the 37th district

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 11,478 | 79.94% | 2,699 | 18.80% | 181 | 1.26% |
| 2020 | 11,423 | 76.97% | 3,208 | 21.62% | 210 | 1.41% |
| 2016 | 10,775 | 75.47% | 3,080 | 21.57% | 422 | 2.96% |
| 2012 | 10,014 | 72.91% | 3,484 | 25.37% | 236 | 1.72% |
| 2008 | 9,278 | 68.72% | 3,923 | 29.06% | 300 | 2.22% |
| 2004 | 8,055 | 61.93% | 4,745 | 36.48% | 207 | 1.59% |
| 2000 | 6,945 | 55.36% | 5,162 | 41.14% | 439 | 3.50% |
| 1996 | 4,311 | 33.31% | 6,897 | 53.29% | 1,735 | 13.40% |
| 1992 | 4,513 | 32.61% | 7,022 | 50.74% | 2,303 | 16.64% |
| 1988 | 5,851 | 45.74% | 6,799 | 53.15% | 141 | 1.10% |
| 1984 | 8,296 | 57.36% | 5,962 | 41.22% | 206 | 1.42% |
| 1980 | 5,667 | 46.73% | 6,140 | 50.63% | 320 | 2.64% |
| 1976 | 3,603 | 35.06% | 6,376 | 62.04% | 299 | 2.91% |
| 1972 | 5,903 | 65.96% | 2,551 | 28.51% | 495 | 5.53% |
| 1968 | 2,213 | 22.70% | 2,641 | 27.08% | 4,897 | 50.22% |
| 1964 | 3,673 | 42.52% | 4,966 | 57.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,251 | 25.84% | 5,904 | 67.77% | 557 | 6.39% |
| 1956 | 4,170 | 62.93% | 2,346 | 35.41% | 110 | 1.66% |
| 1952 | 3,447 | 49.03% | 3,584 | 50.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 793 | 21.78% | 1,717 | 47.16% | 1,131 | 31.06% |
| 1944 | 1,156 | 33.17% | 2,329 | 66.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,054 | 29.40% | 2,531 | 70.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 608 | 19.15% | 2,567 | 80.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 512 | 18.13% | 2,308 | 81.73% | 4 | 0.14% |
| 1928 | 1,120 | 39.67% | 1,703 | 60.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 883 | 47.58% | 973 | 52.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 895 | 55.14% | 728 | 44.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 200 | 22.91% | 656 | 75.14% | 17 | 1.95% |
For most of the 20th Century, Jeff Davis was a Democratic-leaning parish, voting Republican only in landslide elections such as 1972 and 1984. However, like other Acadian parishes with large Cajun populations, Jeff Davis turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.