Rayville is a town in and 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 ...

of Richland Parish in northeastern

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 3,347 in the 2020 census, down nearly 21 percent from 4,234 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. The City Hall, located next to the U.S. Post Office across from U.S. Highway 80, is named for former Rayville Mayor Joe Kalil (1922–1996).

History

Rayville was named for

John Ray John Ray Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (November 29, 1627 – January 17, 1705) was a Christian England, English Natural history, naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his ...

Geography

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 town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (5.9 km), of which 2.2 square miles (5.8 km) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km) (1.32%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,347 people, 1,248 households, and 892 families residing in the town.

Education

Public schools in Richland Parish are operated by the

Richland Parish School Board The Richland Parish School Board is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in Richland Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the town of Rayville. Schools High schools *Grades 9–12 ** Delhi High Schoolb ...

. Three campuses serve the town of Rayville - Rayville Elementary School (Grades PK-6), Rayville Junior High School (Grades 7-8), and Rayville High School (Grades 9-12). Rayville is also served by Riverfield Academy (Grades PK-12) a non-denominational private school.

Notable people

* Ralph Abraham, politician *

Garland Boyette Garland Dean Boyette (March 22, 1940 – April 19, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the Houston Oilers and St. Louis ...

, football player *

Reggie Burnette Reginald Burnette (born October 4, 1968) is an American former professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Rayville, Louisiana. Career Burnette was selected in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL draft ...

, football player * Charles "Bubba" Chaney,

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

from Rayville *

Bunny Greenhouse Bunnatine (Bunny) H. Greenhouse is a former chief contracting officer Senior Executive Service (Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (PARC)) of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On June 27, 2005, she testified to a Congression ...

, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower *

Elvin Hayes Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945), nicknamed "the Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and ...

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

basketball player * Edgar Jones,

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

football player *

Ernie Ladd Ernest L. Ladd (November 28, 1938 – March 10, 2007), nicknamed "the Big Cat", was an American professional American football, football defensive tackle and professional wrestling, professional wrestler. A standout athlete in high school, Ladd ...

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

and football player * Roosevelt Potts,

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

football player *

Stanley Williams Stanley Tookie Williams III (December 29, 1953 – December 13, 2005) was an American gangster who co-founded and led the Crips gang in Los Angeles. He and Raymond Washington formed an alliance in 1971 that established the Crips as Los Angele ...

, one of the early leaders of the

Crips The Crips are a primarily African-American alliance of street gangs that are based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips ...

Gallery

File:Rayville, LA, welcome sign IMG 0148.JPG , Rayville welcome sign File:Kalil Municipal Building, Rayville, LA IMG 0170.JPG, Kalil Municipal Building File:Rayville, LA, Civic Center IMG 0160.JPG, Rayville Civic Center File:U.S. Post Office, Rayville, LA IMG 0171.JPG, U.S. Post Office in Rayville File:Abandoned theater in Rayville, LA IMG 0169.JPG, Abandoned Joy Theater in Rayville File:First Baptist Church, Rayville, LA IMG 0149.JPG, First

Baptist Church Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...

of Rayville File:Rayville, LA, Presbyterian Church IMG 0155.JPG, Rayville

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Church

References

External links

Town of Rayville official website
{{authority control * Towns in Louisiana Towns in Richland Parish, Louisiana Parish seats in Louisiana