Hammond, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 The Hammond Oak atop the grave of founder Peter Hammond and graves of family members and slaves | |
 Location of Hammond in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana | |
  Hammond Location in Louisiana Show map of Louisiana Hammond Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:30°30′09″N90°28′30″W / 30.50250°N 90.47500°W /30.50250; -90.47500[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Tangipahoa |
| Settled | 1818 |
| Chartered | 1889[2] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pete Panepinto[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.25 sq mi (36.92 km2) |
| • Land | 14.25 sq mi (36.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,584 |
| • Density | 1,374.2/sq mi (530.59/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70401, 70403 |
| Area code | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-32755 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403788[1] |
| Website | www.hammond.org |
Hammond is the largest city inTangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, located 45 miles (72 km) east ofBaton Rouge and 45 miles (72 km) northwest ofNew Orleans. Its population was 20,019 in the2010 U.S. census, and 21,359 at the 2020population estimates program.[5]
Hammond is home toSoutheastern Louisiana University. It is the principal city of the Hammondmetropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Tangipahoa Parish and is a part of the Baton Rouge-Hammond combined statistical area.[6]
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The city is named for Peter Hammond (1798–1870), the surname anglicized from Peter avHammerdal (Peter of Hammerdal) — aSwedish immigrant known as the first European settler, arriving around 1818. Peter, a sailor, had been briefly imprisoned by theBritish atDartmoor Prison during theNapoleonic Wars. He escaped during a prison riot, made his way back to sea, and later reachedNew Orleans.
Hammond used his savings to buy then-inexpensive land northwest ofLake Pontchartrain. He developed a plantation to cultivate trees, which he made into masts, charcoal, and other products for the maritime industry in New Orleans. He transported the goods byoxcart to thehead of navigation on theNatalbany River atSpringfield. He held at least 30enslaved African Americans before theCivil War. Hammond lost his wealth during the war, asUnion soldiersraided his property.[7][8]
In 1854, theNew Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad (later theIllinois Central Railroad, nowCanadian National Railway) came through the area, launching the town's emergence as a commercial and transport center. The point where the railroad met the trail to Springfield was at first known asHammond's Crossing.
During the Civil War, the city was a shoe-making center for theConfederate States Army.Charles Emery Cate developed the shoe industry after buying land in the city in 1860 for his home, a shoe factory, a tannery, and a sawmill. Toward the end of the war, Cate laid out the town's grid, using the rail line as a guide and naming several of the streets after his sons. Also, Cate Street is named for him.
After the Civil War, light industry and commercial activities were attracted to the town. By the end of the 19th century, Hammond had become a stopping point for northern rail passengers traveling south and for New Orleanians heading north to escape seasonal summeryellow fever outbreaks. The city later became a shipping point forstrawberries. A state historicalplaque downtown marks it as "Strawberry Capital of America".[9]
In the 1920s, David William Thomas edited a weekly newspaper in Hammond prior to moving toMinden, the seat ofWebster Parish. There, he was elected mayor in 1936.
In 1932,Hodding Carter founded theHammond Daily Courier, which he left in 1939 to move toGreenville, Mississippi. The paper closed. Carter later received aPulitzer Prize for his reporting on theCivil Rights Movement.
In 1944, the Tangipahoa Parish Library – Hammond branch was established.[10]
Since 1959,The Daily Star has been Hammond's locally published daily newspaper.
During World War II, the Hammond Airport (nowHammond Northshore Regional Airport) served as adetention camp forprisoners of war fromNazi Germany.
Additionally, the U.S. Army established and used the 15,216-acre (61.58 km2)Hammond Bombing and Gunnery Range east of the city. In the early 21st century, Army Corps of Engineers searched for remaining explosives in this area.[11]
Today, Hammond is intersected byInterstates12 and55. Its airport has a long runway which serves as a backup landing site forLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. It is also a major training site for theLouisiana Army National Guard, and the home base for theLouisiana Air National Guard's236th Combat Communications Squadron.
About 15 mi (24 km) south of the city, on both the railroad and I–55, lies PortManchac, which provides egress viaLake Pontchartrain to theGulf of Mexico. The combination of highway-rail-air-sea transportation has transformed modern Hammond from a strawberry capital to a transportation capital. The city hosts numerous warehouses and is a distribution point forWalmart and other major businesses.Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond offers the state's only academic degree insupply chain management.
In 1953,John Desmond opened the first architectural firm in Hammond. He was chief architect of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board for some two decades before he relocated toBaton Rouge.[12]
Among the city's cultural resources is theTangipahoa African American Heritage Museum. This is one of the destinations on theLouisiana African American Heritage Trail. Southeastern took overthe Columbia Theatre in the designated Hammond Historic District to use as a downtown cultural venue. The former movie theater was constructed in 1928 and renovated by the university in the 1990s for $5.6 million.
On August 29, 2021, Hammond suffered a direct strike by the eastern eyewall ofHurricane Ida. It dropped more than 12 inches (300 mm) of rain, and caused severe flash flooding, and significant wind damage.[citation needed]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33 km2), of which 12.8 square miles (33 km2) is land and 0.08% is water.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen climate classification system, Hammond has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps.[13]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 277 | — | |
| 1890 | 692 | 149.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,511 | 118.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,942 | 94.7% | |
| 1920 | 3,855 | 31.0% | |
| 1930 | 6,072 | 57.5% | |
| 1940 | 6,033 | −0.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,010 | 32.8% | |
| 1960 | 10,563 | 31.9% | |
| 1970 | 12,487 | 18.2% | |
| 1980 | 15,226 | 21.9% | |
| 1990 | 15,871 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 17,639 | 11.1% | |
| 2010 | 20,019 | 13.5% | |
| 2020 | 19,584 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 8,584 | 43.83% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,865 | 45.27% |
| Native American | 62 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 327 | 1.67% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 693 | 3.54% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,047 | 5.35% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 19,584 people, 6,871 households, and 3,972 families residing in the city.
Hammond has suffered from exceptionally high crime rates for many years.[16] Louisiana has been ranked the #1 most violent state in the United States,[17] and Hammond is ranked as the fifth most violent city in the state based on crimes per capita.[18]
The Greater St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church is listed onThe National Register of Historic Places. The church was formed in 1867 by pastor Charles Daggs. Daggs was a formerslave who served with theUnion navy during theAmerican Civil War. The present church building at 311 East Michigan Street was designed by architect Alexander Cornelius Evans, and completed in 1925 by builder John Noble on land purchased by Israel Carter and Albert Gibson.[19]
Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum is located here.
TheSoutheastern Louisiana Lions sports teams use multiple venues in Hammond.
Chappapeela Sports Park hosts American football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball.[20]
There are a few public parks in Hammond including Cate Square park, Zemurray Park, North Oaks Park, Mooney Avenue Park, Clarke Park, Martin Luther King Park, Jackson Park, and Hammond Dreamland Park. There is a public pool located at Zemurray Park. In addition to youth recreational sports and camps, there are adult flag football, basketball, kickball, and volleyball leagues. Other programs are available for adults including Line Dancing, Zumba, and Crafting.[21]
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Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU), based in Hammond, is one of the state's regional universities and one of the city's largest employers. It was established in 1925 through the efforts of the educatorLinus A. Sims, then principal of Hammond High School. The city is also home to Northshore Technical Community College. There are also two vocational colleges in the city, Petra College[22] and Compass Career College,[23] both of which offer allied health and medical certifications.
The city's public schools are part of theTangipahoa Parish School System and includeHammond High Magnet School, Hammond Junior High, Eastside Elementary, Westside Elementary, SLU Laboratory School, and Crystal Academy (an alternative school).
The Catholic Church operates two schools in Hammond: Holy Ghost Catholic School (pre-kindergarten through 8th grades) andSaint Thomas Aquinas High School. Trafton Academy (pre-K through 8th) and Oaks Montessori School (pre-K through 8th) are private schools.
Hammond is served by five police agencies:
North Oaks Medical Center is one of the largest hospitals in Louisiana and serve the teaching needs ofSoutheastern Louisiana University's College of Nursing and Health Sciences.[citation needed]
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The southbound and northboundCity of New Orleans stop daily atHammond station.
Interstates:
U.S. highways:
U.S. Route 51
U.S. Route 190 (Thomas Street / Morris Avenue)State highways:
.svg)
LA 443 (Morris Road).svg)
LA 1040 (Chauvin Drive and Old Baton Rouge Highway).svg)
LA 1064 (Natalbany Road, River Road).svg)
LA 1065 (North Cherry Street)
LA 1067 (Old Covington Highway; decommissioned in 2000).svg)
LA 1249 (Pumpkin Center Road).svg)
LA 3158 (Airport Road).svg)
LA 3234 (University Avenue).svg)
LA 3260 (West Church Street Extension; decommissioned in 2018)Hammond Northshore Regional Airport is a general aviation airport. TheLouisiana Army National Guard, and236th Combat Communications Squadron of theLouisiana Air National Guard, are stationed here.
Municipalities and communities ofTangipahoa Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Other Unincorporated communities | ||
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