Iberia Parish (, ) is a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
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 so ...
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 ...
. At the
2020 census, it had a population of 69,929;
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 five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...
is
New Iberia
New Iberia (; ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette, and forms part of ...
.
The parish was formed in 1868 during the
Reconstruction era
The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...
and named for
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
. It is part of the 22-parish
Acadiana
Acadiana (; French language, French and Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''L'Acadiane'' or ''Acadiane''), also known as Cajun Country (Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''Pays des Cadiens''), is the official name given to the ...
region of the state, with a large
Francophone
The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
population. Some of its ethnic French residents had ancestors who settled here after being expelled in the 18th century by the British from
Acadia
Acadia (; ) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. The population of Acadia included the various ...
in present-day Canada. Historically, it has also been a center for sugar cane cultivation and produces the most sugar of any parish in the state.
Iberia Parish is part of the
Lafayette metropolitan area. The Port of Iberia has a waterway with access to the Gulf Coast.
History
Iberia Parish was created from parts of St. Martin Parish and St. Mary Parish in 1868. It was part of an effort by the Reconstruction-era government to create parishes in which there would be large Republican-majority populations, composed primarily of
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
in those years.
This territory was part of the sugar parishes, where sugar cane plantations were developed along the waterways before and after the Civil War, dependent on labor of high numbers of enslaved African Americans before the war. Sugar cane was a lucrative commodity crop for planters. Relations between White and Black people were troubled after the Civil War, as White people sought to dominate
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
, by violence and intimidation if necessary.
The period after the
Reconstruction era
The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...
was one of increasing violence, especially at the turn of the century and into the early 20th century. In this period, the highly populated Iberia Parish had 26 lynchings of Black people by the
KKK, as part of racial terrorism. This was the fifth-highest total of any parish in Louisiana, and tied with the total number of lynchings in
Bossier Parish.
There was intense political factionalism in Louisiana. Iberia Parish had factions split among conservatives and those who were more moderate about the status of Black people. Moderates sometimes allied with the Republican
creoles and White people in the parish. But in 1884 white Democrats murdered more than 20 African Americans (most of the total noted above), in a kind of political lynching, and arrested White Republicans to regain power in Iberia Parish. In contrast to northern Louisiana, residents otherwise seemed to rely more on the formal legal system, with fewer mob lynchings. But Black people suffered here, making up 88 percent of the persons legally executed for violent crimes in the late 19th century.
[Michael James Pfeifer, ''Rough Justice: Lynching and American Society, 1874-1947''](_blank)
University of Illinois Press, 2004; pp.79-80
In the late 19th century, there was often a labor shortage on the sugar plantations. Planters recruited thousands of Italian immigrants as temporary laborers, many
Sicilians
Sicilians () are a European ethnographic group who are indigenous to Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, as well as the largest and most populous of the autonomous regions of Italy.
History
The Sicilian people are indigenous to ...
who had first settled in New Orleans. They were needed during the fall harvest and processing season, which extended from October to January. The Italians became part of the volatility of social relations, struggling to make their way between planters and Black workers, and competing with other workers for jobs.
[Jean Ann Scarpaci, "Immigrants in the New South: Italians in Louisiana's sugar parishes, 1880–1910"](_blank)
''Labor History'', Vol. 16, 1975- Issue 2
The parish economy changed markedly in the 20th century after the discovery of oil. The Port of Iberia was developed into an industrial center. New types of jobs became available for African Americans. Iberia produces the most sugar of any parish in the state.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (44%) is water.
This includes
Marsh Island.
Major highways
*
Future Interstate 49
*
U.S. Highway 90
*
Louisiana Highway 14
*
Louisiana Highway 31
*
Louisiana Highway 83
*
Louisiana Highway 85
*
Louisiana Highway 86
*
Louisiana Highway 87
*
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 ...
Adjacent parishes
*
St. Martin Parish (north, south)
*
Iberville Parish (northeast)
*
Assumption Parish
Assumption Parish (, ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,039. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the ...
(east)
*
St. Mary Parish (southeast)
*
Vermilion Parish (west)
*
Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 241,753, up from 221,578 at the 2010 United States census. The parish seat and largest city is Lafayett ...
(northwest)
Protected areas
The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.
National protected area
*
Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge
State protected areas
Part of the
Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within Iberia Parish, as well as in
St. Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
and
St. Martin parishes.
Communities
Cities

*
Jeanerette
*
New Iberia
New Iberia (; ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette, and forms part of ...
(parish seat and largest municipality)
Town
*
Delcambre (part)
Village
*
Loreauville
Census-designated place
*
Lydia
Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis.
At some point before 800 BC, ...
Unincorporated communities
*
Avery Island
*
Bob Acres
*
Emma
*
Jefferson Island
*
Olivier
*
Rynella
*
Weeks
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 69,929 people, 26,185 households, and 20,409 families residing in the parish. The 2019
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 ...
estimated 69,830 people lived in Iberia Parish. Approximately 25.6% of the population were under 18 years of age and 51.1% of the population was female.
At the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 73,266 people, 25,381 households, and 19,162 families residing in the parish. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 27,844 housing units at an average density of .
In 2000, there were 25,381 households, out of which 39.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% 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, 17.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.10% 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 2.82 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the parish the population was spread out, with 30.00% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.80 males in 2000.
In 2019, the parish had a median income $48,861 and mean income of $23,290. An estimated 21.9% of the parish population lived at or below the poverty line. The median income for a household in the parish was $31,204, and the median income for a family was $36,017 in 2000. Males had a median income of $32,399 versus $18,174 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 parish was $14,145. About 20.20% 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 ...
, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 20.20% of those age 65 or over.
At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the parish was 65.08%
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 ...
, 30.81%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 0.31%
Native American, 1.93%
Asian, 0.02%
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 ...
, 0.60% from
other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. About 1.50% of the population were
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. Of the population, 11.99% reported speaking
French or
Cajun French
Louisiana French (Louisiana French: ''français louisianais''; ) includes the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisiana French is primarily use ...
at home, while 1.48% speak
Lao and 1.29%
Spanish. The 2019 census estimated determined 58.6% of the population was
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 ...
, 32.8% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian or Alaska Native, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.9% multiracial, and 4.3% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.
Education
Iberia Parish School System
The Iberia Parish School System is a school district headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana, New Iberia, Louisiana, United States. The district serves all of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish.
The city of Delcambre, Louisiana, Delcambre h ...
serves the parish.
Iberia parish also has several private schools. These include
Catholic High New Iberia (of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana), Acadiana Christian School and Highland Baptist School.
Iberia Parish is in the service area of
Fletcher Technical Community College and of
South Louisiana Community College.
National Guard
E Company 199th Forward Support Battalion is stationed in
Jeanerette, Louisiana
Jeanerette () is a city in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States. Known as "Sugar City", it had a population of 5,530 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, a decrease of 467 from the 2000 tabulation of 5,997. ...
, and B Company 2-156th is stationed in
New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia (; ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette, and forms part of ...
. Both units have deployed twice to Iraq, 2004-5 and 2010, as part of the
256TH IBCT.
Politics
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Iberia Parish, Louisiana
*
Iberia African American Historical Society
References
External links
Iberia Parish Sheriff Department
Geology
* Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000
''Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
{{Coord, 29.79, -91.78, type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990, display=title
Louisiana parishes
Parishes in Acadiana
Acadiana
1868 establishments in Louisiana
Populated places established in 1868