Norco, Louisiana
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Norco is a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in St. Charles Parish,
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. The population was 2,984 at the 2020 census. The community is home to a major
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
/ Valero manufacturing complex. The CDP's name is derived from the New Orleans Refining Company.


Etymology

The community of Norco was once called "Sellers," after a wealthy family there. In 1911, the land was purchased by an agent for
Shell Oil Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Y ...
, and the New Orleans Refining Company (NORCO) was established. The community's name was officially changed from Sellers to Norco sometime after 1926.


History

By the late 18th century, French and European colonial settlers had established numerous
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
plantations Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tobacco ...
. They imported enslaved
Africans The ethnic groups of Africa number in the thousands, with each ethnicity generally having their own language (or dialect of a language) and culture. The ethnolinguistic groups include various Afroasiatic, Khoisan, Niger-Congo, and Nilo-Sahara ...
as laborers. As sugar cane cultivation was highly labor-intensive, the slave population greatly outnumbered the ethnic Europeans in the colony, a circumstance that continued after the
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...
by the United States in 1803. On January 8, 1811, planters were alarmed by the German Coast Uprising led by
Charles Deslondes Charles Deslondes ( – January 11, 1811) was an African American revolutionary who was one of the leaders in the 1811 German Coast uprising, a slave revolt that began on January 8, 1811, in the Territory of Orleans. He led more than 500 rebels ...
, a
free person of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (; ) were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not enslaved. However, the term also applied to people born free who we ...
from
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
(formerly the French colony of
Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colonization of the Americas, French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the isl ...
). It was the largest slave uprising in US history, though it resulted in few white fatalities. Deslondes and his followers had been influenced by the ideas of the French and Haitian revolutions. In 1809–1810, French-speaking refugees from the Revolution immigrated by the thousands to New Orleans and Louisiana: white planters and their slaves, and
free people of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (; ) were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not enslaved. However, the term also applied to people born free who we ...
, adding to the French Creole, African and free people of color populations. Deslondes led followers to the plantation of Col. Manuel André, where they had hoped to seize stored arms, but those had been moved. The band traveled downriver, gathering more slaves for the
insurrection Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
as they marched. They were armed simply with hand tools and accompanied their progress by drums. More than 200 men participated in the uprising; they killed two white men on their march toward New Orleans. The alarm was raised, and both militia and regular troops were called out by Gov. William C.C. Claiborne to put down the short-lived revolt. The white militia and troops killed 95 slaves in total, many immediately and others in executions after quick trials. Since 1995 members of the African American History Alliance of Louisiana have gathered annually at Norco in January to commemorate the events of the German Coast Uprising, when men of color reached for freedom decades before the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
and
emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...
. They have been joined by descendants of the insurgents. In 1942, a Catholic Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, was founded. In 2021,
Hurricane Ida Hurricane Ida was a deadly and extremely destructive tropical cyclone in 2021 that became the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. state of Louisiana on record, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In terms of m ...
passed through the area, leaving the oil refineries/chemical plants spewing toxic chemicals through flaring.


Geography

Norco is located at (30.003753, -90.410824). The city is situated on the eastern edge of the large
Bonnet Carré Spillway The Bonnet Carré Spillway is a Flood#Flood defences, planning, and management, flood control operation in the Lower Mississippi River, Mississippi Valley. Located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, about west of New Orleans, it allows floodwat ...
, which provides for an outlet from the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
to
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 w ...
during flooding of the river. 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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (12.83%) is water. "Diamond" is a part of Norco that spans about four blocks and it is 100% African American. The other neighborhood in Norco is 98% white.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,984 people, 1,201 households, and 750 families residing in the CDP.


Education

St. Charles Parish Public School System operates public schools, including: * Norco Elementary K-3 School * Norco Elementary 4-6 School * Destrehan High School in Destrehan Prior to 1969 Mary M. Bethune High School in Norco served area black students; that year it closed, with high school students moved to Destrehan High School.


Notable people

*
Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall,Tubby Hall, jazz drummer * James Brown Humphrey, Musician, bandleader, and music instructor * Damaris Johnson, NFL wide receiver/punt returner for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
and
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
* Jamall Johnson, NFL and CFL linebacker and actor * Rondell Mealey, NFL running back for the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
* Gregory A. Miller, member of the
Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...
from St. Charles Parish, was reared in Norco. * Ralph R. Miller, member of the Louisiana House from 1968 to 1980 and 1982 to 1992; father of Gregory A. Miller * George T. Oubre, state senator from 1968 to 1972 for St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes; candidate for
state attorney general The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the District of Columbia, federal district, or of any of the Territories of the United States, territories is the chief legal advisor to the State governments of the United States, sta ...
in December 1971, while residing in Norco *
Jeremy Parquet Jeremy Michael Parquet (born April 11, 1982) is an American former professional football player. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi. Parquet ...
, NFL offensive lineman for the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
,
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
and
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
*
Rusty Rebowe Rusty Rebowe (born January 17, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the ...
, NFL linebacker for the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
*
Tim Rebowe Timothy J. Rebowe (born February 25, 1963) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at Nicholls State University from 2015 to 2024. Early life and playing career Rebowe from Norco, Louisiana is an alumnus of Louisiana State ...
, Head football coach at
Nicholls State University Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nichol ...
*
Darrington Sentimore Darrington Sentimore (born February 17, 1990) is a former American football defensive lineman. High school career Sentimore was a standout athlete at Destrehan High School in Destrehan, Louisiana. Under head coach Stephen Robicheaux, Sent ...
, NFL defensive lineman for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
*
Gary Smith, Jr. Gary L. Smith Jr. (born August 27, 1972), is an American attorney from his native Norco in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, who is a former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate for District 19, a position which he held from 2012 to 20 ...
, Louisiana state senator


In popular culture

* The eponymous video game '' NORCO'' takes place in the alternative future Norco and the surrounding area.


See also

*
Fenceline community A fenceline community or frontline community is a neighborhood that is immediately adjacent to a company, military base, industrial or service center and is directly affected by the noise, odors, chemical emissions, traffic, parking, or operations ...
* Mary M. Bethune High School *
Shell plant explosion in Norco, Louisiana Two explosions occurred in the community of Norco, Louisiana in 1973 and 1988. The incident in 1973 occurred when a sixteen-year-old, Leroy Jones, was cutting grass for Helen Washington, who was taking a nap on her porch in the Diamond community. T ...


References


External links


''Fenceline''
PBS documentary about the oil industry in Norco, and how the community is divided over issues around it. {{authority control Census-designated places in Louisiana Census-designated places in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana Census-designated places in the New Orleans metropolitan area Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River