Franklinton, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Town of Franklinton | |
 Location of Franklinton in Washington Parish, Louisiana. | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates:30°51′12″N90°07′55″W / 30.85333°N 90.13194°W /30.85333; -90.13194[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Washington |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.41 sq mi (11.43 km2) |
| • Land | 4.37 sq mi (11.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.042 sq mi (0.11 km2) |
| Elevation | 167 ft (51 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,662 |
| • Density | 837.9/sq mi (323.51/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 70438 |
| Area code | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-27190 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406520[1] |
| Website | http://www.townoffranklinton.com |
Franklinton is a town in, and theparish seat ofWashington Parish,Louisiana, United States.[3] The population was 3,857 at the2010 census. The elevation is an average of 155 feet (47 m) above sea level. Franklinton is located 61 miles (98 km) north ofNew Orleans.
A Franklinton physician,Jerry Thomas, represented Washington Parish in theLouisiana House of Representatives from 1988 to 1999. He was elected to the District 12 seat in thestate senate, serving from 1999 to 2004. He had succeededPhil Short ofCovington, who resigned. Prior to his state service, Dr. Thomas was the Washington Parish coroner from 1980 to 1988.
Elected in 2015,Beth Mizell, a businesswoman from Franklinton, is the current District 12 state senator.
Franklinton was founded in 1819, originally under the name ofFranklin. It was designated as the parish seat of government on February 10, 1821, two years after the parish was carved out fromSt. Tammany Parish.
In 1826 the town's name was changed toFranklinton, as there was already another town named Franklin inSt. Mary Parish. In 1826, representatives and citizens from both communities showed up in then-state-capitalNew Orleans to state their cases for keeping the name "Franklin." The legislature allowedFranklin in St. Mary Parish to retain its name, while changing the Washington Parish's newerseat to Franklinton. The parish was largely rural, based in extensive pine forests.
In the early hours of January 11, 1935, a small group of white men forced their way into the Washington Parish jail in Franklinton, fatally shooting and beating Jerome Wilson, 30, an African-American man convicted of murder. He had pleaded for mercy. Five days earlier theLouisiana Supreme Court had granted Wilson a new trial, on the grounds that he had not received a fair trial. The decision cited that he was tried, convicted, and sentenced within ten days of his arrest in August in the slaying of Deputy Sheriff Delos C. Wood in a gunfight on the Wilson place.[4]
The lynch party took Wilson's body by car and dumped it along a rural road three miles (5 km) from town; then they dispersed. The body was found by a passerby on the road two hours later. Police officers said they thought Wilson was shot because his cries would have aroused parish authorities, who twice had thwarted attempts to lynch him.[4]
In 2005, much of Franklinton, as well as most of Washington Parish, sustained damage fromHurricane Katrina. It caused extensive damage along the Gulf Coast.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km2), of which 4.1 square miles (10.7 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.95%) is water.
TheBogue Chitto River flows through the western edge of the town.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 143 | — | |
| 1870 | 121 | −15.4% | |
| 1890 | 97 | — | |
| 1900 | 236 | 143.3% | |
| 1910 | 814 | 244.9% | |
| 1920 | 964 | 18.4% | |
| 1930 | 963 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,579 | 64.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,342 | 48.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,141 | 34.1% | |
| 1970 | 3,562 | 13.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,119 | 15.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,007 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,657 | −8.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,857 | 5.5% | |
| 2020 | 3,662 | −5.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,656 | 45.22% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,769 | 48.31% |
| Native American | 11 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 19 | 0.52% |
| Other/Mixed | 89 | 2.43% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 118 | 3.22% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 3,662 people, 1,739 households, and 930 families residing in the town.
The town's economy is based heavily on the parish agriculture, forestry, and some commercial industry. Many residents commute south intoSt. Tammany Parish for employment.
The Washington Parish Free Fair, the largest free fair in the US and the second-largest county fair in Louisiana, is held during the third week of October each year at the Washington Parish Fair Grounds in Franklinton.
The Era-Leader, the oldest newspaper in Washington Parish, is based in Franklinton and covers mainly the western half of the parish. It is the Official Journal of Washington Parish.
The Daily News is published once per week. It is based in Bogalusa but it covers all of the parish.
The book,Dead Man Walking (1993) by SisterHelen Prejean, and the 1995film of the same name adapted from the book, referred to the murder of Faith Hathaway byRobert Lee Willie and Joseph Vaccaro, and their convictions. The murder took place at Fricke's Cave (now part ofBogue Chitto State Park).
Franklinton is the home of the 843rd Engineer Company. It is part of the 205th Engineer Battalion inBogalusa, and the larger225th Engineer Brigade of theLouisiana National Guard.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Franklinton has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[9]
Municipalities and communities ofWashington Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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