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Concordia Parish, Louisiana
| Concordia Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 Location in the state of Louisiana |
|
 Louisiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1807 |
| Named for | Possibly a land Grant, New Concordia |
| Seat | Vidalia |
| Largest city | Vidalia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 749 sq mi (1,939 km2) |
| • Land | 696 sq mi (1,802 km2) |
| • Water | 53 sq mi (137 km2), 7.05% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 20,822 |
| • Density | 29/sq mi (11/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Concordia Parish (French: Paroisse de Concordia) borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The parish seat is Vidalia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,822.[1] It is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Prehistory
Concordia Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before European settlements began. Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and mound sites throughout the area. Notable examples include Cypress Grove Mound, DePrato Mounds, Frogmore Mound Site and Lamarque Landing Mound.
Historic era
Concordia was named for a Latin word meaning "harmony".
During the American Civil War, Concordia Parish was staunchly Confederate. According to the historian John D. Winters in his The Civil War in Louisiana (1863), Concordia, "a planter-dominated parish, displayed unusual Confederate patriotism in early March [1862]. A handsome bounty of $100 was offered to any man who joined one of three designated companies forming for the duration of the war. A bounty of $50 would be paid to those joining either of two companies being raised in the neighboring parish of Catahoula. A $50,000 bond issue was voted to finance the bounty program. . . . $40,000 was appropriated for the relief of needy families of volunteers in the parish."[2]
The plantations of Concordia Parish were impacted by the "red tape" involved in hiring Negro laborers once the Union had liberated an area. Both lessees and private owners found the labor regulations onerous to implement.[3]
Law and government
The current sheriff is Kenneth Hedrick, who won the office after former Sheriff Randy Maxwell announced his retirement.
Although the parish trends Democratic, in the 2008 presidential election, the Democrat Barack Obama of Illinois received 3,766 votes (39.5 percent) in Concordia Parish to 5,668 (59.5 percent) for the Republican nominee, John S. McCain of Arizona.[4] In 2004, Concordia Parish cast 5,427 votes (60 percent) for President George W. Bush and 3,446 ballots (38 percent) for his Democratic rival, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts. Local officials are almost entirely Democratic in affiliation, and Republicans rarely contest such elections.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 749 square miles (1,939.9 km2), of which 696 square miles (1,802.6 km2) is land and 53 square miles (137.3 km2) (7.05%) is water.
The parish is completely agricultural bottomlands. The Ouachita River runs along the west boundary, the Red River along the south, and the Mississippi River along the east. All three rivers are contained by large levee systems.
Major highways
Adjacent parishes
- Tensas Parish (north)
- Adams County, Mississippi (northeast)
- Wilkinson County, Mississippi (east)
- West Feliciana Parish (southeast)
- Pointe Coupee Parish (south)
- Avoyelles Parish (southwest)
- Catahoula Parish (west)
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Tensas Parish | Adams County, Mississippi | |
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| Catahoula Parish |  |
Wilkinson County, Mississippi | ||
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| Avoyelles Parish | Pointe Coupee Parish | West Feliciana Parish |
National protected area
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,626 |
|
|
| 1830 | 4,662 | 77.5% | |
| 1840 | 9,414 | 101.9% | |
| 1850 | 7,758 | −17.6% | |
| 1860 | 13,805 | 77.9% | |
| 1870 | 9,977 | −27.7% | |
| 1880 | 14,914 | 49.5% | |
| 1890 | 14,871 | −0.3% | |
| 1900 | 13,559 | −8.8% | |
| 1910 | 14,278 | 5.3% | |
| 1920 | 12,466 | −12.7% | |
| 1930 | 12,778 | 2.5% | |
| 1940 | 14,562 | 14.0% | |
| 1950 | 14,398 | −1.1% | |
| 1960 | 20,467 | 42.2% | |
| 1970 | 22,578 | 10.3% | |
| 1980 | 22,981 | 1.8% | |
| 1990 | 20,828 | −9.4% | |
| 2000 | 20,247 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 20,822 | 2.8% | |
| Est. 2012 | 20,365 | −2.2% | |
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2012 Estimate[6] |
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As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 20,247 people, 7,521 households, and 5,430 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 9,148 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 57.9% White, 40.7% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,521 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 19.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.80% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $22,742, and the median income for a family was $28,629. Males had a median income of $27,453 versus $18,678 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $11,966. About 24.30% of families and 29.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.00% of those under age 18 and 20.60% of those age 65 or over.
Populated places
towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated places
Education
Concordia Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.
Notable people
- Al Ater, State representative (1984–1988) and secretary of state (2005–2006)
- Clifford Cleveland Brooks, planter in St. Joseph, represented Concordia Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1924-1932.[8]
- James H. "Jim" Brown, state senator (1972–1980), Louisiana secretary of state (1980–1988), and insurance commissioner (1992–2000)
- Campbell Brown, Emmy-award winning journalist, CNN Anchor/host and daughter of Jim Brown
- Eugene P. Campbell, longest serving Concordia Parish sheriff, 1908-1940
- Charles C. Cordill, Louisiana state senator representing Concordia and Tensas parishes from 1884 to 1912[9]
- Hyram Copeland, current mayor of Vidalia since 1992
- Noah W. Cross, Concordia Parish sheriff, 1944-1948; 1952-1973
- Brenham C. Crothers, Ferriday cattleman; state senator from delta parishes from 1948 to 1952 and 1956 to 1960
- Troyce Guice, U.S. Senate candidate, 1966 and 1986
- Bryant Hammett, state representative, 1992–2006
- Sam Hanna, Sr., late publisher of Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday
- Shelby M. Jackson, Education superintendent, 1948–1964
- Jerry Lee Lewis, musician
- Ed Rand, late state representative from Rapides Parish had a second home on Lake St. John.
- Dan Richey, state senator, 1980–1984
- Fred L. Schiele, state representative, Concordia Parish sheriff
- Howard K. Smith, ABC and CBS commentator
- Jimmy Swaggart Televangelist
- J. Robert Wooley, Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance from 2000 to 2006; practiced law in Concordia Parish with James H. "Jim" Brown in late 1970s[10]
National Guard
1086TH Transportation Company of the 165TH CSS (Combat Service Support) Batttalion of the 139TH RSG (Regional Support Group)resides in Vidalia, Louisiana on the western border of Mississippi.
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