Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish (or ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads.
Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Louisiana was located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads.
History
Pointe Coupee is the oldest settlement on the lower Mississippi, having been made by some wandering Canadian trappers as early as 1708. Bienville established this place as a military post, before the commencement of New Orleans. The fort was moved in 1722 to an area near the present St. Francisville Ferry landing.
After several floods, Governor Luis de Unzaga in 1772 moved the European settlement to a new post, the so-called Post Unzaga. Recently, historians Cazorla and Polo, from the Louis de Unzaga Historical Society research team, using satellite remote sensing techniques and comparative plans from the General Archive of the Indies, have managed to locate the position of the Unzaga post, which included, along with it, a parish. After the slave rebellion of 1795 this settlement was left uninhabited.
Pointe Coupee Parish (originally and recently, informally pronounced pwahnt coo-pay) was organized by European Americans in 1805 as part of the Territory of Orleans (statehood for Louisiana followed in 1812). It was originally called Pointe Coupee County, and was one of the original 12 counties of the Territory of Orleans. It was renamed as Pointe Coupee Parish in 1816. The original Pointe Coupee Parish included parts of present-day Iberville and West Baton Rouge Parishes. There were minor boundary adjustments with neighboring parishes up through 1852, when its boundaries stabilized.
In 2008, Pointe Coupee was one of the communities that suffered the most damage by Hurricane Gustav.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (5.6%) is water. The land consists mainly of prairies and backswamp.
Major highways
Pointe Coupee Parish has 498.98 miles of highways within its borders.
U.S. Highway 190
Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana Highway 77
Louisiana Highway 78
Louisiana Highway 81
Louisiana Highway 411
Louisiana Highway 413
Louisiana Highway 414
Louisiana Highway 415
Louisiana Highway 416
Louisiana Highway 417
Louisiana Highway 418
Louisiana Highway 419
Louisiana Highway 420
Louisiana Highway 970
Louisiana Highway 971
Louisiana Highway 972
Louisiana Highway 973
Louisiana Highway 975
Louisiana Highway 976
Louisiana Highway 977
Louisiana Highway 978
Louisiana Highway 979
Louisiana Highway 981
Louisiana Highway 982
Louisiana Highway 983
Louisiana Highway 984
Louisiana Highway 3050
Louisiana Highway 3091
Louisiana Highway 3131
Louisiana Highway 3190
Major waterways
Atchafalaya River
False River
Mississippi River
Old River
Raccourci Old River (not a river but an oxbow lake)
Red River
Adjacent parishes
Concordia Parish (north)
West Feliciana Parish (northeast)
West Baton Rouge Parish (east)
Iberville Parish (south)
St. Martin Parish (southwest)
St. Landry Parish (west)
Avoyelles Parish (northwest)
National protected area
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Communities
City
New Roads (parish seat)
Towns
Fordoche
Livonia
Village
Morganza
Census-designated place
Ventress
Unincorporated communities
Aline
Allon
Alma
Anchor
Argyle
Bayou Latenache
Batchelor
Beaud
Blanks
Brooks
Brownview
Chenal
Columbo
Coon
Dupont
False River
East Krotz Springs
Elliot City
Frisco
Frogmore
Glynn
Hermitage
Ingleside
Innis
Island
Jacoby
Jarreau
Keller
Knapp
LaBarre
Lacour
Lakeland
Leavel
Legonier
Lettsworth
Lottie
Major
McCrea
McKneeley
Mix
Morrison
New California
New Texas
Oscar
Parlange
Patin
Point Coupee
Quinton
Ravenswood
Red Cross
Red River Landing
Rougon
Seibert
Schwabs
Sherburne
Shexnayder
Smithland
Sparks
St. Dizier
Torbert
Torras
Valverda
Waterloo
Wickliffe
Williamsport
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,763 people, 8,397 households, and 6,171 families residing in the parish. The population density was . There were 10,297 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the parish was 68.91% White, 29.61% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 93.61% of the population spoke only English at home, while 4.89% spoke French or Cajun French, 0.96% spoke Spanish, and 0.73% spoke Louisiana Creole French.
By the publication of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,758 people, 8,960 households, and 5,625 families residing in the parish, reflecting a slight population decline. Among the population in 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 58.99% non-Hispanic white, 34.79% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.74% other or multiracial, and 3.01% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the parish was $30,618, and the median income for a family was $36,625. Males had a median income of $35,022 versus $20,759 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,387, ranking 23rd out of 64 parishes. About 18.70% of families and 23.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.20% of those under age 18 and 23.90% are the age of 65 and older.
Religiously, Christianity is the dominant religion being part of the Bible Belt. The largest denomination by membership as of 2020 has been the Catholic Church (according to the Association of Religion Data Archives). Southern Baptists were the second largest denomination by membership.
Economy
Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America has a large plant near Batchelor. Another large employer is NRG / Big Cajun 1 & 2 power plants near New Roads. The parish's economy is heavily reliant upon agriculture, with sugar cane being one of the main cash crops.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board serves the parish. As of 2014 the sole secondary school operated by the parish school board is Livonia High School, serving grades 7 through 12. Pointe Coupee Central High School was closed down in 2014. Current public schools include Stem Magnet Academy, Valverda Elementary, Rougon, Rosenwald, and Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary.
Private
Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee / Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge)
False River Academy
The parish is in the service area of South Louisiana Community College.
National Guard
A Co of the 769th BEB (Brigade Engineer Battalion) is an Engineer Company (Combat) that resides in New Roads, Louisiana. This unit is part of the 256TH IBCT and deployed to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010.
Law enforcement
The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office is the chief law enforcement agency in Pointe Coupee Parish. The sheriff's office is responsible for routine law enforcement patrols in the parish. There are several divisions besides the road patrol, including the parish prison, a water patrol, a mounted horse patrol, an aviation unit, a criminal investigations division, and bailiffs for the courthouse. This department employs over 100 full-time deputies, as well as several part-time deputies. The department's main office is located in the parish courthouse in New Roads.
Notable residents
Lindy Boggs (1916-2013) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
Brian J. Costello - native and lifelong resident of New Roads, author of more than two dozen books
Emmitt Douglas (1926–1981) – president of the Louisiana NAACP from 1966 to 1981, resided in New Roads from 1949 to 1981
Ernest Gaines – author
Clark Gaudin - former state representative from East Baton Rouge Parish
Buddy Guy - blues guitarist and singer
Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, historian, did extensive research and writing about slavery in Louisiana
Russel L. Honoré - retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
J. Thomas Jewell - state representative 1936–1968; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1960-1964
J. E. Jumonville, Jr. - state senator from District 17, 1976–1992, horse breeder
J. E. Jumonville, Sr. - state senator, 1968–1976, natural gas developer
Catherine D. Kimball - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court; former judge of the Louisiana 18th Judicial District Court, 1983-1993
Major General John Archer Lejeune, career military officer and Commandant of the US Marine Corps
Norma McCorvey - anonymous plaintiff in 1973 U.S. Supreme Court landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade.
deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964), born in New Roads, elected four times as mayor of New Orleans, ran unsuccessfully three times for governor of Louisiana, later US ambassador to the Organization of American States.
Jacob Haight Morrison, (1905-1974), New Roads native, journalist, politician and preservationist to help protect the French Quarter of New Orleans
Charles Parlange - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court
Julien Poydras – territorial U.S. Representative for Louisiana; 1st State Senate President, philanthropist
William Priestley (1771-1838), son of the famous English chemist and philosopher Joseph Priestley
James Ryder Randall - poet, teacher at Poydras Academy, 1856–1860, wrote "Maryland, My Maryland" while living in Pointe Coupée Parish
Nauman Scott - judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, based in Alexandria
Major Thibaut - state representative for District 18 since 2008; First Parish President
H. C. Tounoir - former state representative
Chris Williams - offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams
Clyde Kimball - former State Representative and former deputy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Politics
Prior to 2008, Pointe Coupee Parish was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, only failing to back the party's nominees four times between 1912 and 2004 even as the South began trending more Republican in presidential elections. Since 2008 it has consistently supported Republican nominees.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office
References
External links
Pointe Coupee Interactive Map
Official Pointe Coupee Parish website
Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, "THE LOUISIANA SLAVE DATABASE AND THE LOUISIANA FREE DATABASE: 1719-1820", iBiblio website
Official Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office website
Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
Pointe Coupee at the Millennium Documentary Photography Project
Louisiana parishes
Parishes in Acadiana
Acadiana
Baton Rouge metropolitan area
1807 establishments in the United States
Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River