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 o ...
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 ...
and is located on the central eastern border 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 ...
, United States. With a population of 3,511 at the 2010 census, it is an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
majority town.
Ferriday was integral to the promotion of
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
music through Haney's Big House lounge in the African-American community. Almost every Delta Blues musician played at Haney's. The Delta Music Museum in the downtown historic district is open daily to visitors, many of whom come from out of state. It is located next to the restored Arcade Theater. The museum contains exhibits on Ferriday natives, some of whom were blues, rock, pop, and country musicians.
The town claims to have produced more famous people per square mile than any other in America. This statement intrigued author Elaine Dundy, who explored both celebrities and townsfolk in her book, ''Ferriday, Louisiana'', published by E. P. Dutton in 1991.
Churches of several major denominations are located here, including a large
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementLouisiana Highway 15, as well as
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
, Methodist, and Catholic.
Geography
Ferriday is situated on the west side of Lake Concordia and from Lake St. John, oxbow lakes noted for recreational and professional bass fishing.
U.S. Routes 84 and 425 pass through the center of Ferriday. US 84 leads west to Jonesville, and US 425 leads north to Clayton. The two highways jointly lead southeast to
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, ...
.
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 th ...
, Ferriday has a total area of , all being land.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of 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 3,189 people, 1,354 households, and 885 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 3,723 people, 1,350 households, and 918 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 2,220.7 people per square mile (855.6/km2). There were 1,498 housing units at an average density of 893.5 per square mile (344.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 74.89%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 24.09%
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.19% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 1,350 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples living together, 33.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $14,732, and the median income for a family was $18,636. Males had a median income of $23,654 versus $16,725 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 $8,767. About 40.7% of families and 47.4% 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 70.2% of those under age 18 and 25.1% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010, Ferriday had the 15th-lowest median household income of all places in the United States with a population over 1,000.
Education
The
Concordia Parish School Board
Concordia Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States.
The district serves residents of Concordia Parish, i.e. Vidalia, Ferriday, Ridgecrest, and Monterey.
School uniforms
The district requ ...
serves Ferriday.
Ferriday High School
Ferriday High School is a public high school in Ferriday, Louisiana, United States. It is one of three high schools ran by the Concordia Parish School Board.
Student life
Clubs and activities offered at Ferriday include:
*4-H Club
*All Girl's C ...
is located off LA 15. Its sports teams are known as the Trojans. To the right rear of the high school is the Concordia Parish Library.
The
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Huntington High School, first established for all grades in 1970, was located in a middle-class residential area of the town. It is one of the " segregation academies", private schools founded by white parents who withdrew from the public system when its schools were desegregated.
Bryant Hammett Bryant may refer to:
Organizations
* Bryant Bank, a bank in Alabama, United States
* Bryant Electric Company, an American manufacturer of electrical components
* Bryant Homes, a British house builder, part of Taylor Woodrow
* Bryant University ...
, a former State Representative, graduated from Huntington in 1974. Al Ater, later elected as Louisiana Secretary of State, was a graduate of the founding class. Publisher Sam Hanna was among its first directors. Huntington closed in 2010.
Founder and head of the board, Craig Jackson, established the Delta Charter School in 2013 in Huntington's buildings.
The Central Louisiana Technical Community College is located in Ferriday.
Notable people
*
Andy Anders
John F. "Andy" Anders is an American politician, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the 21st district from 2006 to 2020.
Education
Anders earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness from the Louisian ...
, politician and farm equipment salesman in Ferriday; former state representative for Concordia Parish
* Campbell Brown, NBC and CNN news correspondent
*
Brenham C. Crothers
Brenham Calhoun Crothers (January 2, 1905 – April 27, 1984) was a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served two nonconsecutive terms from 1948 to 1952 and 1956 to 19 ...
, (1905-1984), state senator from 1948 to 1952 and 1956 to 1960
* Mickey Gilley (1936-2022), country musician and owner of Gilley's Nightclub in Pasadena, Texas
* Dale Houston (1940–2007), whose single "I'm Leaving It Up To You" reached No. 1 in 1963
*
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...
(1935-2022),
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
evangelist
Evangelist may refer to:
Religion
* Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels
* Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ
* Evangelist (Anglican Church), a co ...
; he was involved in sex scandals in the late 1980s and early 1990s which were revealed, but he never left his Ministries.
Photo gallery
Image:Ferriday, LA sign IMG 1191.JPG, Ferriday welcoming sign on LA 15
File:Delta Music Museum, Ferriday, LA IMG_1184.JPG, Delta Music Museum
Image:Concordia Parish Library IMG_1197.JPG,
Image:Another view of Ferriday High School IMG_1205.JPG,
Image:Jerry Lee Lewis Drive in Ferriday IMG_1201.JPG,