Gonzales, Louisiana
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Gonzales is a city in
Ascension Parish Ascension Parish (; ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metr ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,231. Known as the " Jambalaya Capital of the World", it is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival, which was first held in 1968.


History

Early European settlers of the area that was developed as Gonzales were, for the most part, of French and
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
ancestry. They settled among the Houma Indians who lived in the area. Among the projects and plans carried out by
Luis de Unzaga Luis de Unzaga y Amézaga (1717–1793), also known as Louis Unzaga y Amezéga le Conciliateur, Luigi de Unzaga Panizza and Lewis de Onzaga, was governor of Spanish Louisiana from late 1769 to mid-1777, as well as a Captain General of Venezuela ...
("Le Conciliateur") while he was governor of
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
between 1769 and
1777 Events January–March * January 2 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of the Assunpink Creek: American general George Washington's army repulses a British attack by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, in a second ...
was the promotion of new settlements by Europeans; among them were French
Acadians The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French colonial empire, French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern Americ ...
and
Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
in the fertile
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
region, and more specifically in the Unzaga Post or "Puesto de Unzaga" that he created in 1771 in Pointe Coupee, the parish of Saint Gabriel in 1773 and Fort Manchac in
1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...
; the Gonzales people occupied land at the confluence of the aforementioned European settlements. By 1851, the small European settlement still had only ten residents. A school was established in 1855 by Adlard Gautreaux for the European-American children in the area. By 1886, the settlement had grown, and the citizens of the community elected "Big" José Gonzáles as their
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
. José's son, Joseph "Tee-Joe" (for Petit Joe) Gonzales, opened a general store and post office in May 1887. The post office became known as the Gonzales Post Office. Construction of the railroad to the village stimulated the growth of Gonzales. When the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company (LR&N) constructed its rail line through the area, the local post office was already named Gonzales. The rail company executives wanted to name their station Edenborn, after the company's owner, Willam Edenborn. The company also wanted to move the station north of the area to New River, Louisiana, then called Belle Hellene. After local residents filed protests with the Louisiana Railroad Commission, the railroad company was ordered to leave the station at Gonzales. The LR&N still tried to change the name to Edenborn. But the residents continued to protest and persuaded the Louisiana Legislature to pass a law requiring railroad companies to name their railroad stations the same as the local post offices. Gonzales was laid out and subdivided in 1906. It was officially incorporated as a village in 1922. Joseph Gonzales was elected as the first
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
. The village continued to grow, with transportation improved by construction of Airline Highway. Governor Earl K. Long proclaimed Gonzales as a town in 1952, during his term. The town held its first Jambalaya Festival in 1968. Governor John J. McKeithen marked the occasion by proclaiming Gonzales as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World". Following the growth of industrial corporations in the area, the town was chartered by the state legislature as a city in 1977. Gonzales became better known in 2005, after the widespread destruction caused by
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
. The
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
, and HSUS and other animal rescue groups, established their bases at the fairground in Gonzales. This became their main search and rescue headquarters, as well as the site for holding pets pending return to their families; the animals were rescued from New Orleans and many other locations. Some people were reunited with their lost pets at this site. In 2024, the City of Gonzales saw the election its first African-American Mayor, Timothy “Tim” Riley along with its first female council members; Terri Lambert and Cynthia Gray James. James would also go down in history as the city’s first minority female to be elected to public office.


Geography

Gonzales is located at (30.227128, -90.919771). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.27%, is water.


Climate

Gonzales has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. The area is subject to potential severe weather year-round, with snowfall being rare for the city. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the area due to its proximity to the coastline of southeast Louisiana. In September 2008,
Hurricane Gustav Hurricane Gustav () was the second most destructive tropical cyclone of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Gustav caused serious damage and Casualty (per ...
brought 80+ mph winds to the area with gusts over 100 mph.


Demographics

In 2000, there were 8,156 people, 2,966 households, and 2,156 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,332 housing units at an average density of . As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,231 people, 4,159 households, and 2,807 families residing in the city. At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the city was 65.40%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 31.25%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.22% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.64% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.62% of the population. By 2020, its racial makeup was 36.24%
non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
, 46.85% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.89% multiracial, and 12.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race, reflecting state and nationwide trends of greater diversification. In 2000, there were 2,966 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $43,117 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,731 versus $22,168 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $17,690. About 14.9% of families and 16.6% 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 23.6% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. The median household income as of 2021's
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates increased to $59,108.


Government

The city is governed by a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
, and the five council members are elected from city wide at large single-member divisions, One city council division is reserved for African American candidates. The Chief of Police is elected.The current mayor of Gonzales is Tim Riley.


Legislative delegation

District 59 State Representative Tony Bacala of Ascension Parish is a retired law enforcement officer,
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Eddie Lambert a family law attorney who represents Ascension, Livingston, St. James, and
St. John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
. Edward Joseph Price, an
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
Democrat and a Gonzales businessman, has held the District 58 House seat for Ascension, Iberville and St. James parishes since 2012. State Representative Randal Gaines, of St. John the Baptist Parish, formerly resided in Gonzales.


National Guard

Gonzales is home to the 922nd engineer vertical construction company, which is part of the 528th engineer battalion, 225th engineer brigade. 922nd EVCC plays a pivotal role in providing humanitarian relief during natural disasters within the United States, along with remaining ready to deploy anywhere in the world as they are needed.


Notable people

* Alicia Morton, actress * Cleo Moore, actress * Glenn Dorsey, NFL player * Robert Hillary King, born here as Robert King Wilkerson, grew up in New Orleans. He was one of the Angola Three, surviving decades of incarceration in
solitary confinement Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...
. His 1973 conviction of murder was overturned, and he was released in 2001, the first of the three men to gain freedom.


Sister cities

Gonzales has one
sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...
, as designated by
Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of ...
: * Meylan, France


See also

*


References


External links

*
The ''Gonzales Weekly Citizen''

Gonzales Jambalaya Festival
{{authority control 1855 establishments in Louisiana Cities in Ascension Parish, Louisiana Cities in Louisiana Cities in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area Louisiana Isleño communities Populated places established in 1855