Napoleonville | |
|---|---|
| Village of Napoleonville | |
 St. Anne Catholic Church off St. Joseph St. | |
 Location of Napoleonville in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. | |
  Napoleonville  Napoleonville | |
| Coordinates:29°56′16″N91°01′36″W / 29.93778°N 91.02667°W /29.93778; -91.02667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Assumption |
| Named after | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ron Animashaun (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| • Land | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 540 |
| • Density | 3,205.0/sq mi (1,237.47/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70390 |
| Area code | 985 |
Napoleonville, is avillage and theparish seat ofAssumption Parish, in the U.S. state ofLouisiana.[2] The population was 660 at the2010 census.[3] It is part of thePierre PartMicropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known[citation needed] as the location where the filmBecause of Winn-Dixie, based onKate DiCamillo's Newbery Prize-winning novel, was shot. The book was set in (fictional) Naomi, Florida.
As early as 1807, the community that later became Napoleonville was known asCanal, a name derived from a man-made waterway that extended west from the settlement toLake Verret.[4] This canal served as an important transportation link for goods and people in the early 19th century.
The village was later namedNapoleonville by a former French soldier, Pierre Charlet, who had served underNapoleon Bonaparte. Charlet immigrated to Louisiana after theNapoleonic Wars and settled in Assumption Parish; he is buried in the cemetery of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in nearbyPlattenville.[5]
The first permanent European settlements in this region were established byFrench andSpanish colonists (includingIsleños) during the mid-18th century alongBayou Lafourche, between the present towns ofDonaldsonville and Napoleonville.[6] From 1755 to 1785, the population grew significantly due to the arrival ofAcadians, exiled during theGreat Upheaval, who cleared land and built homes along the bayou.[7]
Napoleonville became the parish seat whenAssumption Parish was created on March 31, 1807, from Lafourche County.[8] The town was officially incorporated on March 11, 1878, following an act of the Louisiana Legislature.[9]
Throughout the 19th century, Napoleonville grew as a center of commerce and culture along Bayou Lafourche. Sugarcane cultivation became the dominant economic activity in the region by the 1860s and remains important today.[10] The town also served as a hub for French-language journalism; thePionnier de l’Assomption newspaper, founded in 1850, later became thePioneer of Assumption and documented local life for decades.[11]
A historical marker near the Assumption Parish Courthouse notes that Napoleonville lies on an early travel route (1730–1770) used by French and Acadian settlers moving betweenSt. James Parish and the Attakapas region near Lake Verret.[12]
Napoleonville is located at29°56′16″N91°1′36″W / 29.93778°N 91.02667°W /29.93778; -91.02667 (29.937778, -91.026750).[13] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), all land.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 497 | — | |
| 1890 | 723 | 45.5% | |
| 1900 | 945 | 30.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,201 | 27.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,171 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,180 | 0.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,301 | 10.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,260 | −3.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,148 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,008 | −12.2% | |
| 1980 | 829 | −17.8% | |
| 1990 | 802 | −3.3% | |
| 2000 | 686 | −14.5% | |
| 2010 | 660 | −3.8% | |
| 2020 | 540 | −18.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84 | 15.56% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 428 | 79.26% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.19% |
| Other/Mixed | 12 | 2.22% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 15 | 2.78% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 540 people, 229 households, and 137 families residing in the village.
The village is home to the 928thSapper Company, acombat engineer unit of the 769th EngineerBattalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard which in turn is headquartered atBaton Rouge. Both of these units belong to the225th Engineer Brigade headquartered atLouisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville nearPineville.
The town maintains twinning links with:
Pontivy (Napoléonville in 1804), France since 1989
Municipalities and communities ofAssumption Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
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