# Delhi, Louisiana

Delhi (/ˈdɛl.haɪ/), originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 2,622.

## History

In 1890, the Delhi Institute was founded in Delhi, Louisiana; a Black private school affiliated with the A.M.E. church. Delhi Institute was renamed to Lampton College; after a 1907 fire, the campus was moved to Alexandria, Louisiana, before being absorbed sometime after 1945 by Campbell College in Jackson, Mississippi.
In the 1940s, Delhi was the center of a large natural gas boom. Numerous workers came to work in the industry. Several functioning gas fields still surround the town.
From 1968 until 1969, Delhi Fire Department was home to the now defunct Louisiana State Police - Troop O. The site was abandoned in 1969 after thirteen months' operation, with state services reverting to Troop F in Monroe.
On February 21, 1971, as part of the February 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak, Louisiana's only recorded F5 tornado struck outside of Delhi. It resulted in forty-seven deaths and was the deadliest F5 tornado to hit the United States since the Jackson, Mississippi, Candlestick Park tornado in 1966. It was the earliest confirmed F5 tornado during a year.

## Geography

Delhi is located at 32°27′21″N 91°29′36″W﻿ / ﻿32.45583°N 91.49333°W﻿ / 32.45583; -91.49333 (32.455948, -91.493345). The town lies at the confluence of U.S. Route 80 and Louisiana Highway 17, and near to Interstate 20.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km$^2$), of which 2.5 square miles (6.5 km$^2$) is land and 0.1 square mile (2.33%) is water.
The elevation of 89 ft (27 m) spared Delhi from the brunt of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 that destroyed most of the surrounding Mississippi River Delta area.
The Poverty Point Reservoir, which hosts the acclaimed Black Bear Golf Club and the Poverty Point Reservoir State Park, is located just north of Delhi on Louisiana Highway 17 near Warden. The reservoir project was pushed to fruition by State Senator Francis C. Thompson of Delhi.

## Demographics

Delhi racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 789 | 30.09% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,727 | 65.87% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.31% |
| Asian | 8 | 0.31% |
| Other/Mixed | 44 | 1.68% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 46 | 1.75% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,622 people, 1,082 households, and 641 families residing in the town.

## Education

Public schools in Richland Parish are operated by the Richland Parish School Board. Three campuses serve the town of Delhi – Delhi Elementary School (Grades PK-4), Delhi Middle School (Grades 5-8), and Delhi High School (Grades 9-12).
Delhi Charter School (DCS) (K-12) is an area charter school.

## Name

The origin of the name Delhi is uncertain. According to The Delhi Dispatch, one story says that a Professor Allen chose the name after reading the poem "Lalla Rookh" by Thomas Moore. The other story says that the name stuck when a tree with "Delhi" carved into it was used by travelers for navigation.

## Notable people

* Earl Holliman, Golden Globe award-winning film and television actor known for movies such as The Sons of Katie Elder, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Giant and TV series Police Woman
* Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958 and television actress
* Bnois King, jazz and blues musician, was born in Delhi
* Bob Love, basketball player, went to high school in Delhi
* Charles A. Marvin, judge of the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit from 1975 to 1999; worked as news editor at The Delhi Dispatch c. 1950
* Tim McGraw, country singer originally from Start
* Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon, Chicago blues bass guitarist, singer and songwriter
* Pat "Gravy" Patterson, longtime baseball coach at Louisiana Tech University
* Steven Pylant, former sheriff of Franklin Parish and Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, resides in Franklin Parish near Delhi
* Johnny Robinson, 6 Time NFL All Pro, 2020 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee, 1970 Super Bowl Champion with the Kansas City Kansas City Chiefs
* Charles Wyly and Sam Wyly, businessmen who endowed Wyly Tower of Learning at Louisiana Tech University