Gretna is the second-largest city in, and

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of,

Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian f ...

in the U.S. state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

. "Gretna, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes), ''City Data'', 2007, webpage:
C-Gretna
"Census 2000 Data for the State of Louisiana" (town list),

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, May 2003, webpage:
C2000-LA
Gretna lies on the west bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

, just east and across the river from uptown New Orleans. It is part of the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

– Metairie– Kenner

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The population was 17,814 at the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

History

According to the history published by the city, Gretna's history can be traced to a plantation established by Jean-Charles de Pradel by 1750 (when the plantation house, ''Monplaisir'', was built). By 1813, the plantation had passed into the hands of one François Bernoudy.

John McDonogh John McDonogh (December 29, 1779 – October 26, 1850) was an American entrepreneur whose adult life was spent in south Louisiana and later in Baltimore. He made a fortune in real estate and shipping, and as a slave owner, he supported the Ameri ...

(also spelled John McDonough), then a resident of New Orleans, bought the establishment, moved into the house and founded a settlement in 1815, that would be named McDonoghville. He subdivided the rest of the former plantation into regular city lots and 30- arpent farming strips. McDonoghville thus became the first subdivision in Jefferson Parish. McDonough either leased or sold these properties to white laborers or free people of color."History of Gretna". City of Gretna. Undated.
Accessed January 25, 2020. Gretna was settled in 1836, originally as Mechanikham, growing with a station on the Mississippi River for the

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

Texas and Pacific Railway The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California. History Under the influence of ...

, and

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

, with a

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

across the River to New Orleans. The famous food and

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

company Zatarain's, founded in 1889 in New Orleans, has been located in Gretna since 1963. Gretna was incorporated in 1913, absorbing the section of McDonogh within the Jefferson Parish boundaries. In the 1940 census, Gretna had a population of 10,879.

Hurricane Katrina controversy

The city and its police received considerable press coverage when, in the aftermath of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

on August 29, 2005, people who attempted to escape from New Orleans by walking over the

Crescent City Connection The Crescent City Connection (CCC), formerly the Greater New Orleans Bridge (GNO), is a pair of cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. They ...

bridge over the Mississippi River were turned back at gunpoint by City of Gretna Police, along with Crescent City Connection Police, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies, who set up a roadblock on the bridge in the days following the hurricane. According to eyewitnesses, some officers threatened to shoot those coming from New Orleans as they attempted to cross into Gretna on foot, shots were fired overhead, and downdraft from a police helicopter was used to help clear refugees from the bridge. New Orleans Police Department 911 operator Patryce Jenkins, having walked the city for two days after her dispatch center was flooded, tried to return to her unflooded Gretna apartment via the bridge. Though she had ID to prove her status as a resident, she said instead of checking it police ordered her to turn back, used racial slurs, and fired a warning shot over her head, leaving her crying in disbelief. Gretna mayor Ronnie Harris pointed out though the city had not flooded, Gretna had been severely damaged as well, losing power, water, and sewage services, claiming the city had no food, no water, no shelters, and no capacity to take refugees. Harris said that the city had commandeered buses and been transporting a crowd of about 6,000 refugees to a nearby FEMA facility. But he said the city enacted the blockade after a spate of door-to-door robberies began in Gretna and stores at the Oakwood Mall were looted and burned. Residents of Gretna were themselves required to evacuate after a few days. Four federal civil lawsuits were filed against the city for violation of civil rights. Two were dismissed, and in a third the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office settled with a family from Algiers for $10,000.Federal judge throws out constitutional claims in CCC bridge blockade suit after Katrina
/ref> A fourth federal case, involving Regional Transit Authority workers, was scheduled to go to trial in April 2011. Several other cases were filed in New Orleans Civil District Court.

Geography

Gretna is located at (29.916459, -90.054260) and has an elevation of behind the levee along the Mississippi River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (9.33%) is water.

Demographics

According to the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 17,814 people residing in the city. The 2019

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

determined there were 7,156 households and 3,954 families residing in the city limits. In 2010, there were 17,734 people, 6,958 households, and 4,286 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,685 people per square mile (1,922.0/km). There were 7,665 housing units at an average density of 2,082 per square mile (845.6/km). In 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup was 41.24% non-Hispanic white, 32.96% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.75% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.81% multiracial or some other race, and 18.73% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 44.9%

non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Am ...

, 35.5% Black and African American, 0.3%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and #Terminology differences, other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peopl ...

, 1.9% Asian, 0.1%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...

and other

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.2% some other race, 1.3%

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

, and 16% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. In 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 48.05% White, 20.43% African American, 1.20% Native American, 8.12% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 4.03% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race were 24.38% of the population. From 2010 to 2020, the growth of Hispanic or Latino Americans reflected nationwide demographic trends of diversification and identity. In 2010, there were 6,958 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years, higher than Louisiana's median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males. As of 2019, the median household income in Gretna was $47,244. Males had a median income of $44,902 versus $31,992 for females. Approximately 17.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. In 2010, the median income for a household in the city was $28,065, and the median income for a family was $31,881. Males had a median income of $28,259 versus $21,019 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,735. About 20.8% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 34.7% of those under age 18 and 20.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

operates the Gretna Post Office.

Police

The city has a police department that was established in 1913. In 2016, press reports indicated that local police made 6,566 adult arrests in 2013, a rate about fourteen times that of a typical city. Such arrests may have generated over $5 million in fines and other revenue for the city. In July 2019 it was reported that two officers of the Gretna Police were fired for threatening United States Representative

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Gretna's public schools are operated by the

Jefferson Parish Public Schools Jefferson Parish Public Schools is a school district based in Harvey in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States.Metairie, LA Secondary schools ;7-12 schools * Fisher Middle-High Schoolbr>- Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, Jean Lafitte ...

system. Schools serving portions of the city limits are in the City of Gretna unless otherwise noted. Zoned elementary schools serving sections of Gretna include Shirley T. Johnson Gretna Park Elementary School, William Hart Elementary School, and McDonogh #26 Elementary School. George Cox Elementary School, which also serves a portion of Gretna, is in Timberlane, an unincorporated area of Jefferson Parish. Most residents are zoned to Gretna Middle School, while some are zoned to Livaudais Middle School in Terrytown. Most residents are zoned to West Jefferson High School in Harvey, an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

of Jefferson Parish, while some are zoned to

Helen Cox High School Helen Cox High School is a high school located in Harvey, in unincorporated area Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It serves portions of several communities, including Harvey, Gretna, Timberlane, and Woodmere.- Jean Lafitte, Louisian ...

, also located in Harvey. For advanced studies, residents are zoned to the Gretna Academy. Gretna #2 Academy for Advanced Studies, a Pre-K to 5th grade magnet school, and L. W. Ruppel Academy, a Pre-K to 8th grade French immersion magnet school, are located in Gretna. Thomas Jefferson High School is another magnet school in Gretna. Previously Kate Middleton Elementary in Terrytown served a portion of Gretna. In 2012 Kate Middleton Elementary closed. Milestone Sabis Academy, a K-8 charter school, is in Gretna.

Public libraries

Jefferson Parish Library operates the Gretna Public Library in Gretna. The current facility, with more than of space, opened on March 17, 2010. The library includes a meeting room that can accommodate 58 people. The library is almost twice the size of the previous facility. GretnaPoliceStation

Culture

German American Cultural Center

The German American Cultural Center (GACC), headquartered at 519 Huey P. Long Avenue, was founded in 1988. It strives to interpret the contribution of German immigrants to Louisiana's history by presenting educational opportunities such as exhibits, lectures and other programs. GACC has sponsored special events such as ''Maifest'' and ''Oktoberfest''. The latter is a 3-day event held during the first weekend of October each year at the center.

Cultural References to Gretna, Louisiana

* In his book "

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...

", author

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian an ...

mentions Gretna. * Portions of the movie "

A Love Song for Bobby Long ''A Love Song for Bobby Long'' is a 2004 American psychological drama film directed and written by Shainee Gabel, based on the novel ''Off Magazine Street'' by Ronald Everett Capps. It stars John Travolta as the title character, an aging alcoho ...

" were filmed in Gretna. * Portions of "

Monster's Ball ''Monster's Ball'' is a 2001 American drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appear in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and Peter Boy ...

" were filmed in Gretna.

Notable people

* Bianca Del Rio (born Roy Haylock, 1975), is an American actor, drag queen, insult comedian, costume designer, and reality-show personality in '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' * Joseph Bouie, Jr. (born 1946), member of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (french: link=no, Chambre des Représentants de Louisiane) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 rep ...

for District 97 in Orleans Parish since 2014; former resident of Gretna * Joseph Cao (b. 1967), attorney and U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 2009-2011 *

Joe Clay Claiborne Joseph Cheramie (September 9, 1938 – September 26, 2016), better known by his stage name Joe Clay, was an American rockabilly musician. He was from Gretna, Louisiana, United States. Career Clay was born in Harvey, Louisiana, Un ...

(1938-2016),

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...

musician * Kiem Do, former captain and Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) in the Republic of Vietnam Navy * Olaf Fink (1914-1973), educator and state senator for Orleans Parish from 1956 to 1972, is interred at Westlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Gretna. * Frankie Ford (1939-2015), rock and roll performer * John Fourcade (b. 1960), former

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

quarterback was born in Gretna. * Emmett Hardy (1903-1925), early

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

great * Frederick Jacob Reagan Heebe (1922-2014), United States district court judge * Girod Jackson, III, former state representative for Jefferson Parish and former Gretna resident *

Eddie Lacy Edward Darwin Lacy Jr. (born June 2, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Alabama, where he was a member of three BCS National Championship teams in the 2009, 2011, and 2012 seasons. He was drafted by ...

, running back for the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

* Lash LaRue (1917-1996),

Western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

actor *

(1799-1850),

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

and philanthropist, established McDonoghville section of Gretna. *

Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pi ...

, NBA player * Mel Ott (1909–1958),

baseball hall of fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

r *

Stanley Joseph Ott Stanley Joseph Ott, S.T.D., (June 29, 1927 – November 28, 1992) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Baton Rouge from 1983 until his death in 1992. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archd ...

(1927-1992),

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

bishop * Elfrid Payton,

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...

defensive lineman * Elfrid Payton, Jr., professional basketball player * James St. Raymond, businessman and former state representative in Orleans Parish; former resident of Gretna * Ike Taylor, Retired defensive back who played his entire career for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

* Scott Williams, bassist for

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavil ...

band

Soilent Green Soilent Green is an American extreme metal band formed in 1988 in Chalmette/ Metairie on the suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana. Described as a sludge metal and grindcore band, the group blends elements of death metal, black metal, hardcore, an ...

, died in 2004 in Gretna.

Notes

References

External links

City of Gretna WebsiteGretna Police DepartmentGretna Heritage FestivalThe real heroes and sheroes of New Orleans
(First report of the bridge incident that was later picked up by major media.)
"The Bridge to Gretna"
story from CBS News ''60 Minutes'' program, December 18, 2005 Schools
Gretna Middle School
*Elementary schools
Shirley T. Johnson/Gretna ParkWilliam HartMcDonogh #26Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies

Audio and video

Trapped in New Orleans: Emergency Medical Worker Describes How Police Prevented Evacuation
from Pacifica ''Democracy Now!'' program, September 16, 2005 {{authority control Cities in Louisiana Cities in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Cities in the New Orleans metropolitan area Parish seats in Louisiana Populated places established in 1836 Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River 1836 establishments in Louisiana