St. Mary Parish (french: Paroisse de Sainte-Marie) is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

located 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 sove ...

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 ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,650. The

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 ...

is Franklin. The parish was created in 1811. St. Mary Parish comprises the Morgan City, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 were ...

-Morgan City, LA

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 parish has a total area of , of which is land and (50%) is water.

Cypremort Point State Park Cypremort Point State Park is a public recreation area located on Vermilion Bay, Louisiana near the end of La. Hwy. 319. It is named for nearby Cypremort Point. Cypremort means "dead cypress" in French. The park, set against a backdrop of coas ...

is located in the parish on Vermilion Bay.

Major highways

* Future Interstate 49 * U.S. Highway 90 *

Louisiana Highway 83 Louisiana Highway 83 (LA 83) is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs in a general east–west direction from LA 14 in New Iberia to LA 182 in Baldwin. The route essentially forms a loop off of U.S. Highway 9 ...

Louisiana Highway 87 Louisiana Highway 87 (LA 87) is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs in a northwest to southeast direction from LA 86 in New Iberia to the junction of two local roads north of Centerville. The route parallels Bayou ...

Louisiana Highway 182 Louisiana Highway 182 (LA 182) is a state highway located in central and southeastern Louisiana. It runs in a northwest to southeast direction from LA 29 in Whiteville to U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) north of Raceland. Along the ...

* Louisiana Highway 317 *

Louisiana Highway 318 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 ...

Adjacent parishes

* Iberia Parish (north) * St. Martin Parish (east) *

Assumption Parish Assumption Parish (french: Paroisse de l'Assomption, es, Parroquia de la Asunción) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,421. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was ...

(southeast) * Terrebonne Parish (south)

Protected areas

The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.

National protected area

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge is located in the coastal towns of Franklin, Garden City and Centerville on Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The refuge is forested with bottomland hardwoods and cypress-gum forests. ...

State protected areas

Part of the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within St. Mary Parish as well as in St. Martin and

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

Parishes.

Communities

Cities

* Franklin (parish seat) * Morgan City *

Patterson Patterson may refer to: People * Patterson (surname) Places ;Canada * Pattersons Corners, Ontario *Patterson Township, Ontario *Patterson, Calgary a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta. ;United States of America * Patterson, Arkansas *Patterson, C ...

Towns

* Baldwin * Berwick

Census-designated places

* Amelia * Bayou Vista * Charenton * Glencoe * Siracusaville *

Sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...

Other unincorporated areas

* Centerville *

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

* Garden City

Demographics

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 of ...

, there were 49,406 people, 19,856 households, and 11,354 families residing in the parish. 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 in ...

of 2000, there were 53,500 people, 19,317 households, and 14,082 families residing in the parish. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 87 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 21,650 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 62.79%

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 o ...

, 31.79%

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 ...

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 ...

, 1.39% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.88% 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 1.50% from two or more races. 2.15% of the population were

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 forme ...

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. 5.43% reported speaking French or

Cajun French Louisiana French ( frc, français de la Louisiane; lou, françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louis ...

at home, while 2.45% speak

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and 1.59%

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

. There were 19,317 households, out of which 36.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 16.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23. In the parish the population was spread out, with 29.70% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males. The median income for a household in the parish was $28,072, and the median income for a family was $33,064. Males had a median income of $31,570 versus $18,341 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 parish was $13,399. About 20.60% of families and 23.60% 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 31.30% of those under age 18 and 19.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

St. Mary Parish School Board St. Mary Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in unincorporated St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The district serves St. Mary Parish. School board Members * District 1 - Joseph C. Foulcard Jr. (Democrat) * District 2 ...

operates local public schools. Th
Chitimacha Day School
affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), is in the Charenton community of unincorporated St. Mary Parish. It is in the service area of Fletcher Technical Community College.

Media

St. Mary Parish has two daily newspapers, the ''Morgan City Daily Review'' (circulation under 6,000) and the '' Franklin Banner-Tribune'' in Franklin (circulation 3,350).

National Guard

B Company 2-156TH Infantry Battalion of the

256TH IBCT The 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Louisiana Brigade") is a modular infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the Louisiana Army National Guard. It is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana. Currently the brigade is part of the 36th Infantry ...

resides in

Franklin, Louisiana Franklin is a small city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,660 at the 2010 census. The city is located on Bayou Teche, southeast of the cities of Lafayette, () and New Iberia () and ) no ...

. This unit has deployed to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

twice, 2004-5 and 2010.

Politics

Notable people

Bret Allain Bret or BRET may refer to: People and fictional characters * Bret (given name), a personal name, including a list of people and fictional characters * Bret (surname), a list of people Other uses * a regional name for either the brill or the ...

(born c. 1958), sugar cane farmer and the current District 21 state senator from St. Mary Parish * Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915–1987), state House Speaker from 1952 to 1956 and lieutenant governor from 1960 to 1972 * Carl W. Bauer (1933-2013), attorney-lobbyist; former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature * Ralph Norman Bauer (1899-1963), attorney; former Speaker of the Louisiana House; a leader of the impeachment forces against

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Huey P. Long, Jr., in 1929 *

V.J. Bella Vincent Joseph Bella, known as V. J. Bella (born July 29, 1927), is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 50 in Iberia and St. Mary parishes, whose service extended from 1972 to 1990. Thereafter, Bella served ...

(born 1927), former state representative (1972–1990) and state fire marshal (1990–1992; 1996–2004) * Elizabeth Bisland (1861–1929), noted journalist and authorMarks, Jason. ''Around the World in 72 Days: The race between Pulitzer's Nellie Bly and Cosmopolitan's Elizabeth Bisland'' (Gemittarius Press 1993) () * Sally Clausen, former president of

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 ...

in Hammoned and Louisiana commissioner of higher education; reared in St. Mary Parish * Thomas G. Clausen, Louisiana education superintendent from 1984 to 1988; reared in St. Mary Parish * Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. (born 1930), governor of Louisiana from 1996 to 2004 * Sam S. Jones, state representative for St. Mary Parish since 2008 *

Geronimo Pratt Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt (September 13, 1947 – June 2, 2011), also known as Geronimo Ji-Jaga and Geronimo Ji-Jaga Pratt, was a decorated military veteran and a high-ranking member of the Black Panther Party in the United States in the late 1960s an ...

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

veteran who served twenty-seven years in prison wrongfully accused of murder * William Joseph Seymour (born 1870), considered to be the most influential African American minister of the twentieth century and pastor of the famous Azusa Street Revival * Lester Vetter, reared in St. Mary Parish; mayor of

Coushatta The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the terri ...

prior to 1952 and state representative for Red River Parish from 1952 until his death in office in 1960 *

Warren Wells Warren Wells (November 14, 1942 – December 27, 2018) was an American college and professional football player, who played wide receiver for five seasons, with the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders. He had success with the Raiders with one 1,00 ...

, Pro football player for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders *

Dale Hawkins Delmar Allen "Dale" Hawkins (August 22, 1936 – February 13, 2010) was a pioneer American rock singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist who was often called the architect of swamp rock boogie. Ronnie Hawkins was his cousin. Biography He bega ...

, (born 1936, died 2010) pioneer of swamp rock boogie

References

External links

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office
{{Coord, 29.64, -91.47, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990 Parishes in Acadiana

Saint Mary Parish, Louisiana St. Mary Parish (french: Paroisse de Sainte-Marie) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,650. The parish seat is Franklin. The parish was created in 1811. St. Mary Parish comprises th ...

1811 establishments in the Territory of Orleans Populated places established in 1811