Pointe Coupee Parish ( or ; ) 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 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads. Pointe Coupee Parish is part of the

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Louisiana was located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads.

History

Pointe Coupee is the oldest settlement on the lower Mississippi, having been made by some wandering Canadian trappers as early as 1708. Bienville established this place as a military post, before the commencement of New Orleans. Settlers arrived in 1719, making it the third oldest settlement in Louisiana. The fort was moved in 1722 to an area near the present St. Francisville Ferry landing. After several floods, Governor Luis de Unzaga in 1772 moved the European settlement to a new post, the so-called Post Unzaga. Recently, historians Cazorla and Polo, from the Louis de Unzaga Historical Society research team, using satellite

remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an physical object, object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring inform ...

techniques and comparative plans from the General Archive of the Indies, have managed to locate the position of the Unzaga post, which included, along with it, a parish. After the slave rebellion of 1795 this settlement was left uninhabited. Pointe Coupee Parish (originally and recently, informally pronounced ''pwahnt coo-pee'') was organized by European Americans in 1805 as part of the

Territory of Orleans The Territory of Orleans or Orleans Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from October 1, 1804, until April 30, 1812, when it was Admission to ...

(statehood for

followed in 1812). It was originally called Pointe Coupee County, and was one of the original 12 counties of the Territory of Orleans. It was renamed as Pointe Coupee Parish in 1816. The original Pointe Coupee Parish included parts of present-day Iberville and West Baton Rouge Parishes. There were minor boundary adjustments with neighboring parishes up through 1852, when its boundaries stabilized. In 2008, Pointe Coupee was one of the communities that suffered the most damage by Hurricane Gustav.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (5.6%) is water. The land consists mainly of prairies and backswamp.

Major highways

Pointe Coupee Parish has 498.98 miles of highways within its borders. * U.S. Highway 190 * Louisiana Highway 1 * Louisiana Highway 10 * Louisiana Highway 15 *

Louisiana Highway 77 Louisiana Highway 77 (LA 77) is a state highway in Louisiana that serves Iberville Parish, LA, Iberville and Pointe Coupee Parish, LA, Pointe Coupee parishes. It spans . Route description LA 77 begins at Louisiana Highway 1, LA 1 near The Islan ...

Major waterways

* Atchafalaya River * False River *

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 ...

* Old River * Raccourci Old River (not a river but an oxbow lake) * Red River

Adjacent parishes

* Concordia Parish (north) * West Feliciana Parish (northeast) * West Baton Rouge Parish (east) * Iberville Parish (south) * St. Martin Parish (southwest) * St. Landry Parish (west) * Avoyelles Parish (northwest)

National protected area

* Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Communities

City

* New Roads (parish seat)

Towns

* Fordoche *

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

Village

* Morganza

Census-designated place

* Ventress

Unincorporated communities

* Aline * Allon * Alma *

Anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anch ...

* Argyle * Bayou Latenache * Batchelor * Beaud * Blanks * Brooks * Brownview * Chenal * Columbo * Coon *

Dupont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

* False River * East Krotz Springs * Elliot City * Frisco * Frogmore * Glynn * Hermitage * Ingleside * Innis *

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

* Jacoby * Jarreau * Keller * Knapp * LaBarre * Lacour * Lakeland * Leavel * Legonier * Lettsworth * Lottie * Major * McCrea * McKneeley * Mix * Morrison * New California * New Texas * Oscar * Parlange * Patin * Point Coupee * Quinton * Ravenswood * Red Cross * Red River Landing * Rougon * Seibert * Schwabs * Sherburne * Shexnayder * Smithland * Sparks * St. Dizier * Torbert * Torras * Valverda * Waterloo * Wickliffe * Williamsport

Demographics

As of 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 22,763 people, 8,397 households, and 6,171 families residing in the parish. The population density was . There were 10,297 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the parish was 68.91%

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 ...

, 29.61%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.17% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 1.08% 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. 93.61% of the population spoke only English at home, while 4.89% spoke French or Cajun French, 0.96% spoke Spanish, and 0.73% spoke Louisiana Creole French. By the publication of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,758 people, 8,960 households, and 5,625 families residing in the parish, reflecting a slight population decline. Among the population in 2020, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 58.99%

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 ...

, 34.79% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.74% other or multiracial, and 3.01% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, the median income for a household in the parish was $30,618, and the median income for a family was $36,625. Males had a median income of $35,022 versus $20,759 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 $15,387, ranking 23rd out of 64 parishes. About 18.70% of families and 23.10% 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 30.20% of those under age 18 and 23.90% are the age of 65 and older. Religiously, Christianity is the dominant religion being part of the Bible Belt. The largest denomination by membership as of 2020 has been the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

(according to the

Association of Religion Data Archives The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. One of the primary goals of the archive is to democratize access to academic information on religion by making t ...

). Southern Baptists were the second largest denomination by membership.

Economy

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America has a large plant near Batchelor. Another large employer is NRG / Big Cajun 1 & 2 power plants near New Roads. The parish's economy is heavily reliant upon agriculture, with sugar cane being one of the main cash crops.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board serves the parish. As of 2014 the sole secondary school operated by the parish school board is Livonia High School, serving grades 7 through 12. Pointe Coupee Central High School was closed down in 2014. Current public schools include Stem Magnet Academy, Valverda Elementary, Rougon, Rosenwald, and Upper Pointe Coupee Elementary. ; Private * Catholic Elementary of Pointe Coupee / Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge) * False River Academy

Post Secondary

The parish is in the service area of South Louisiana Community College. Additionally, Pointe Coupee Parish is home to one of the satellite campuses of Baton Rouge Community College. This campus, located in New Roads, offers several technical, academic, and other courses.

National Guard

A Co of the 769th BEB (Brigade Engineer Battalion) is an Engineer Company (Combat) that resides in New Roads, Louisiana. This unit is part of the 256TH IBCT and deployed to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in 2004-5 and 2010.

Law enforcement

The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office is the chief law enforcement agency in Pointe Coupee Parish. The sheriff's office is responsible for routine law enforcement patrols in the parish. There are several divisions besides the road patrol, including the parish prison, a water patrol, a mounted horse patrol, an aviation unit, a criminal investigations division, and bailiffs for the courthouse. This department employs over 100 full-time deputies, as well as several part-time deputies.Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office
/ref> The department's main office is located in the parish courthouse in New Roads.

Notable residents

* Lindy Boggs (1916–2013) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and U.S. Ambassador to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

* Brian J. Costello - native and lifelong resident of New Roads, author of more than two dozen books * Emmitt Douglas (1926–1981) – president of the Louisiana

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

from 1966 to 1981, resided in New Roads from 1949 to 1981 * Ernest Gaines – author * Clark Gaudin - former state representative from East Baton Rouge Parish * Buddy Guy - blues guitarist and singer * Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, historian, did extensive research and writing about slavery in Louisiana * Russel L. Honoré - retired Lieutenant General, U.S. Army * J. Thomas Jewell - state representative 1936–1968; Speaker of the Louisiana House 1960–1964 * J. E. Jumonville, Jr. - state senator from District 17, 1976–1992, horse breeder * J. E. Jumonville, Sr. - state senator, 1968–1976,

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

developer * Catherine D. Kimball - former Chief Justice of

Louisiana Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Louisiana (; ) is the supreme court, highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The Supreme ...

; former judge of the Louisiana 18th Judicial District Court, 1983–1993 * Major General John Archer Lejeune, career military officer and Commandant of the US Marine Corps * Norma McCorvey - anonymous plaintiff in 1973 U.S. Supreme Court landmark abortion case, '' Roe v. Wade''. * deLesseps Story Morrison (1912–1964), born in New Roads, elected four times as mayor of New Orleans, ran unsuccessfully three times for governor of Louisiana, later US ambassador to the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...

. * Jacob Haight Morrison, (1905–1974), New Roads native, journalist, politician and preservationist to help protect the French Quarter of New Orleans * Charles Parlange - former Chief Justice of Louisiana Supreme Court * Julien Poydras – territorial U.S. Representative for Louisiana; 1st State Senate President, philanthropist * Patrick Queen- Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens, Former LSU player * William Priestley (1771–1838), son of the famous English chemist and philosopher

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...

* James Ryder Randall - poet, teacher at Poydras Academy, 1856–1860, wrote the state song of Maryland, " Maryland, My Maryland" while living in Pointe Coupée Parish * Nauman Scott - judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, based in

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

* Major Thibaut - state representative for District 18 since 2008; First Parish President * H. C. Tounoir - former state representative * Chris Williams - offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams * Clyde Kimball - former State Representative and former deputy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Politics

Prior to 2008, Pointe Coupee Parish was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, only failing to back the party's nominees four times between 1912 and 2004 even as the South began trending more Republican in presidential elections. Since 2008 it has consistently supported Republican nominees.

References

External links

Pointe Coupee Interactive Map

Official Pointe Coupee Parish website

Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, "THE LOUISIANA SLAVE DATABASE AND THE LOUISIANA FREE DATABASE: 1719-1820"
iBiblio website
Official Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office website

Explore the History and Culture of Southeastern Louisiana, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary

Pointe Coupee at the Millennium Documentary Photography Project
{{Coord, 30.71, -91.60, display=title, dim:50000_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990 Louisiana parishes Parishes in Acadiana Acadiana Baton Rouge metropolitan area 1807 establishments in the United States Louisiana parishes on the Mississippi River