Madisonville is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Tammany) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana named after Tamanend, the legendary Lenape Chief of Chiefs and the "Patron Saint of America." At the 2020 census, the population was 2 ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
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 borde ...
. The population was 748 at the
2010 U.S. census,
and 857 at the 2020 U.S.
population estimates program The Population Estimates Program (PEP) is a program of the U.S. Census Bureau that publishes annual population estimates and estimates of birth, death, and international migration rates for people in the United States. In addition to publishing tho ...
.
It is not part of the
–
Metairie–
Kenner
Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
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 town, incorporate ...
. The
ZIP code is 70447.
History
Madisonville was founded by
Jean Baptiste Baham in 1800, before the United States acquired this area, as the town of "Coquille" or "Cokie" because of the abundance of shells in the area, at the site of the Native American village of "Chiconcte". The town was renamed in honor of US President
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
around 1811.
Madisonville was a notable port, providing bricks and other products of the towns along the
Tchefuncte River
The Tchefuncte River ( ) drains into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana in the United States. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 20, 2011
Etymology
The ...
to
, in the decades before the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. After the
Capture of New Orleans
The capture of New Orleans (April 25 – May 1, 1862) during the American Civil War was a turning point in the war, which precipitated the capture of the Mississippi River. Having fought past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was u ...
by the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
, this area remained under nominal
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
control; and the cutoff of trade with New Orleans across enemy lines was devastating to the local economy, which did not recover for decades after the peace.
The opening of the
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway (french: Chaussée du lac Pontchartrain), also known simply as The Causeway, is a fixed link composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the ...
and associated highways gradually brought Madisonville into the sphere of
Greater New Orleans
The New Orleans metropolitan area, designated the New Orleans–Metairie metropolitan statistical area by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, or simply Greater New Orleans (french: Grande Nouvelle-Orléans, es, Gran Nueva Orleans), is a me ...
, in the second half of the 20th century.
Much of the town flooded with the
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...
storm surge 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. The police/fire station and the town hall were damaged by the flood waters. The town flooded again in 2012 during Hurricane Isaac. Town buildings were again repaired but the police station was moved to a historic building at the intersection of Covington, St. John and Cedar Streets. The fire station later moved to a new building on Hwy. 22 just west of the town center.
Jahncke shipyard
Frederick (Fritz) Jahncke emigrated to New Orleans from
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, Germany in 1870. After working as a mason, he started a business that built the first sidewalks in New Orleans. Jahncke expanded; using a rented steam-driven hydraulic suction dredge, his firm was the first to extract sand and shell from the Tchefuncte and other rivers to make concrete used in expanding New Orleans.
Jahncke purchased a half-interest in the Baham Shipyard, entering into shipbuilding. In 1905 he purchased the remaining interest, acquiring land for yards, as well as warehouses, docks, storage facilities and equipment. He died in 1911 and the company passed to
Ernest Lee
Ernest Page Lee (27 August 1862 – 19 February 1932) was a New Zealand lawyer and politician of the Reform Party.
Early life
Born in 1862 in Teignmouth, England, he received his education at Cheltenham and London. Aged 18, he started learnin ...
, Paul F. and Walter F. Jahncke. In 1917, the company started building five wooden ships for the US Navy for
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Two ships were completed – the ''SS Bayou Teche'', which was launched in March 1918, and the ''SS Balabac'' on September 29, 1918. The war ended November 11, 1918, and three of the ships were not completed. The ''SS Abbeville'' was completed on January 19, 1919, and the ''SS Pontchartrain'' on April 6, 1919. The last ship was hauled across the river and burned. Part of the hull is still visible at low tide.
Geography
![Madisonville Louisiana waterfront west side north from LA 22 bridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Madisonville_Louisiana_waterfront_west_side_north_from_LA_22_bridge.JPG)
The town of Madisonville is located on the banks of the Tchefuncte River, near where the river enters
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...
. According to the
United States 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 the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.86%, is water.
Demographics
At 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 of ...
, there were 850 people, 333 households, and 201 families residing in the town. At the
2000 United States census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
,
there were 677 people, 302 households, and 186 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 346 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 85.67%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 10.04%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
, 0.74%
Native American, 0.15%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.77% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.62% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 302 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,625, and the median income for a family was $57,083. Males had a median income of $41,042 versus $19,375 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 town was $25,114. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% 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 t ...
, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum
![Lake Ponchartrain Basin Maritime Museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Lake_Ponchartrain_Basin_Maritime_Museum.JPG)
Madisonville hosts the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, which sponsors the Wooden Boat Festival each fall.
Lighthouse
The Tchefuncte River Lighthouse is owned by the Town of Madisonville and is operated by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum with a grant from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mis ...
and the Southeastern Museum Conference, a gift from the
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University (Southeastern) is a public university in Hammond, Louisiana. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims as Hammond Junior College. Sims succeeded in getting the campus moved to north Hammond in 1928, when it becam ...
Development Fund that included live-streaming security cameras and on-site information about lake levels and wind and wave action by the Department of Computer Science, as well as contributions from private groups and individuals. The Tchefuncte River Lighthouse was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
July 14, 1986. It is only accessible by boat. The lighthouse keepers' cottage was removed to the grounds of the maritime museum where it remains.
Education
Schools operated by the
St. Tammany Parish Public School System in Madisonville include:
*Madisonville Elementary School (pre-kindergarten-2)
*Lancaster Elementary School (grades 3 to 6)
*Madisonville Junior High School (grades 7 and 8)
Notable people
*
Cag Cagnolatti, musician
*
Leah Chase
Leyah (Leah) Chase (née Lange; January 6, 1923 – June 1, 2019) was an American chef based in New Orleans, Louisiana. An author and television personality, she was known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, advocating both African-American art an ...
, chef
*
John Neely Kennedy
John Neely Kennedy (born November 21, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Louisiana since 2017. He served as the Louisiana State Treasurer from 2000 to 2017. Kennedy has been a mem ...
, United States Senator from Louisiana
*
Irv Stein
Irvin Michael Stein (May 21, 1911 – January 7, 1981) was a Major League Baseball pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the go ...
, baseball player
References
External links
Town of Madisonville official websiteHistoric Madisonville Cemeteryon
Find a Grave
Find a Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. Its stated mission is "to help people from all over the world work together to find, record and present fin ...
{{authority control
Towns in Louisiana
Towns in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Towns in New Orleans metropolitan area