St. Charles Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofLouisiana | |
 Louisiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:29°55′N90°22′W / 29.91°N 90.36°W /29.91; -90.36 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1807 |
| Named after | St. Charles |
| Seat | Hahnville |
| Largest community | Luling |
| Area | |
• Total | 411 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
| • Land | 279 sq mi (720 km2) |
| • Water | 132 sq mi (340 km2) 32% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 52,549 |
| • Density | 188.35/sq mi (72.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd,6th |
| Website | www |
St. Charles Parish (French:Paroisse de Saint-Charles) is aparish located in theU.S. state ofLouisiana. At the2020 census, its population was 52,549.[1] Theparish seat isHahnville and the most populous community isLuling.[2]
The parish was established in 1807, following theLouisiana Purchase by the United States in 1803.[3] It was originally part of theGerman Coast, an area along the east bank of theMississippi River that was settled by numerous German pioneers in the 1720s. This was historically an area of sugarcane plantations, but the energy industry is now the economic base of the parish. St. Charles Parish is split by the Mississippi River and includes territory on both sides of the river, the east and west banks.
St. Charles Parish is included in theNew Orleans-Metairiemetropolitan statistical area.
In 1682, French explorersRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle andHenri de Tonti traveled the entire length of theMississippi River and as their expedition passed what is present-dayHahnville on the west bank; they encountered indigenousQuinipissa villagers.[4] In 1699,Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, along with his younger brother,Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville returned to the area claiming it forFrance.[5] They found an indigenousBayagoula settlement near the river's intersection with a tributary at a site namedL’Anse aux Outardes orBustard’s Cove in present-dayNew Sarpy on the east bank of the Mississippi River.[5] It was discovered that the Quinapissa had joined the indigenousMougoulacha and they later moved to the east bank of the river to form one village with the Bayougoula near L’Anse aux Outardes.[5]
As early as 1718,John Law and theCompany of the Indies began recruitingFrench settlers to settleLouisiana (New France), though not specifically to what would become theGerman Coast.[6] The early French settlers were not suited or prepared for the harsh conditions in Louisiana.[6] In 1719,Jean-Pierre Pury, a director at the Company of the Indies, proposed recruiting Germans and German-speaking Swiss farmers to Louisiana and that same year with a twenty-five-year charter, Law merged the Company of the West with his Company of the Indies.[6] Also in 1719, a small group of German settlers arrived in the Louisiana French colony and were transported by waterways thirty miles west of New Orleans to a location along the west bank of theMississippi River, north ofOuachas Lake.[7] This area of German settlers was calledles Allemands orthe Germans.[6][8]
In 1720, Germans were recruited in early spring to settle inles Allemands. Roughly four thousand individuals (four hundred and fifty families) mostly from theRhineland, but also fromBaden-Württemberg,Bavaria,Swedish Pomerania,Alsace–Lorraine,Belgium, andSwitzerland traveled across France toLorient inBrittany and then made the voyage to Louisiana on March 7, 1721.[9][10] The settlers arrived inOld Biloxi on June 4, 1721, and on December 15, 1721,FrenchGovernor Bienville issued an order for boats to transport the recently arrived German-speaking settlers including newly named CommandantCharles Frederic d'Arensbourg, born Karl Friedrich von Arensburg, to the already established villages ofHoffen,Marienthal, andAugsburg on the west bank of the Mississippi River.[10] The settlers left for the settlements in January 1722 and of the roughly four thousand individuals that initially began the trip inEurope, when they reached their port of embarkation in March 1722, a Company of the Indies official counted only three hundred and thirty settlers because many of them perished due to the harsh conditions of their long journey to Louisiana.[9] d'Arensbourg's land grant concession on the west bank of the river near present-dayTaft, was namedKarlstein after him and with its founding, the original four settlements in "les Allemands" were established.[10] Besides the area being named "les Allemands", the collective name that the settlements were sometimes referred to as was Karlstein, also after Charles Frédérique d'Arensbourg or Karl Friedrich von Arensburg, who was the acknowledged leader of the settlements for more than 55 years.[10]
Over time, "les Allemands" would come to be known asCôté des Allemands orGerman Coast and is located in present-day St. Charles andSt. John the Baptist Parishes.[7][10] The German Coast Settlement established in 1722 was the third permanent settlement in what is now the state of Louisiana, afterNatchitoches (1714) andNew Orleans (1718).
Also in 1722, the "La Grand Ouragan" Hurricane devastated the German Coast and many Germans considered leaving.[12] In order to prevent this exodus, Governor Bienville decided to grant the settlement of additional lands to settlers on the west bank in addition to the east bank of the river.[12] Later in 1722 and 1723, someFrench and German settlers along with newly arrivedCanadians moved across the Mississippi River to establish the first east bank settlement atL’Anse aux Outardes orBustard’s Cove.[12] The tributary at this site connected the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain via a previously discovered system of waterways through theLaBranche Wetlands.[12] The ecclesiastical parish and chapel,La Paroisse de St. Jean des Allemands, was also founded in 1723 in Karlstein.[13][14]
A 1724 census revealed that the German families were not only harvesting enough food and raising enough cattle for their families, but they were bringing their surplus to New Orleans markets.[15] It is apparent from these records that from the beginning of their settlement, German Coast farmers were a major source of food for the city of New Orleans.[15]
The granting of additional lands in 1722 and 1723, led to the founding of theSecond German Coast in 1730 and the establishment of officially having settlements on both banks of the Mississippi River.[12] The year 1729 saw the first attack byNative Americans on the German villages.[16] In 1731, as the first decade of settlement on the German Coast ended and the Company of the Indies charter was retrieved by France, Louisiana again became a French colony.[15] The land farmed by settlers on the German Coast technically belonged to the Company of the Indies until France retrieved its charter.[15] After France once again owned the land, more landholders began to petition France for individual ownership of property.[15]
In 1740, the ecclesiastical parish and chapel relocated to the present-day site of the church inDestrehan on the east bank of the Mississippi River.[17] Alog cabin structure was built and both the ecclesiastical parish and chapel were renamed St. Charles in honor ofSt. Charles Borromeo.[17]
TheTerritory of Louisiana remained under French rule until 1763, when France ceded Louisiana toSpain after losing theSeven Years' War toGreat Britain. TheFrench and Indian War was a North American theater of this war. At the beginning of the Spanish colonial period, manyAcadians, people of French descent, began arriving in south Louisiana after being expelled by theBritish from what is nowNova Scotia after the British took over French territory inCanada along with North American territory east of the Mississippi river. The first French Acadian village was established in present-dayWallace in the German Coast. TheGermanic settlers of the German Coast and French Acadians of what would becomeAcadiana thrived alongside each another withFrench becoming the dominant language. The intermingling and marriage between these two groups and influence from additional groups and cultures led to the formation of what was to become LouisianaCajun culture.[18]
The early 18th century settlers in the area received land grants from the Spanish or French royal governments, depending upon which country ruled the territory at the time of application. The French style of property allotments was made up of narrow frontage on the river so that eachplantation had access to high ground for ground transportation of goods to and from New Orleans and world markets. In addition to ground transportation, goods were mainly shipped by boat onbayous and lakes and also via the Mississippi River. The main house and supporting outbuildings were constructed near the river. The remaining property extended away from the river into the wetlands, where land was cleared for cultivation ofsugar cane andindigo. Homes still existing in St. Charles Parish includeDestrehan Plantation,Homeplace Plantation House, andOrmond Plantation House.Labranche Plantation no longer exists, but the Creole dependency house, known in French as a garconnière still exists.[19]
In 1800,Napoleon, the First Consul of theFrench Republic,regained control over Louisiana for France. Following theLouisiana Purchase in 1803, theTerritory of Orleans was established in 1804 and the following year on April 10, 1805, it was divided into twelve counties with one of them being theCounty of the German Coast.[20] The first courthouse was established in 1804, in a community then known as “St. Charles Courthouse".[21] The town was later renamedHahnville and became the parish seat.[21]
In 1806, the log cabinSt. Charles Chapel in Destrehan burned.[17] That same year, a wood-framed church painted red was built at the site of the former chapel.[22] The church became known as the "Little Red Church".[22] It was a famousriverboatlandmark whereboat captains traditionally paid off theircrews.
In 1807, St. Charles Parish was "officially" established.[23] In 1811, part of theGerman Coast uprising took place in St. Charles Parish.[24] The first twopublic schools in St. Charles Parish opened in 1850.[25]
During theAmerican Civil War, threeskirmishes took place in St. Charles Parish. They were the "Battle of Hahnville Courthouse", "Skirmish of Boutte Station" and the "Battle of Des Allemands".[26] Louisiana and therefore St. Charles Parish were part of theFifth Military District during theReconstruction era from 1865 to 1877.[27]
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church was originally built in 1877 in Taft.[28]
Towards the end of 19th century,ferry regulation throughout the parish would now be implemented with parish oversight.[29]
Starting in the 20th century, the area of the German Coast and location of the first permanent settlement ofAcadians in Louisiana began to be referred to as the "River Parishes".[30] The River Parishes are those parishes in Louisiana between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that span both banks of the Mississippi River, and are part of the larger Acadiana region.[30] Traditionally they are considered to be St. Charles Parish,St. James Parish, andSt. John the Baptist Parish.[30]
Industry came to St. Charles Parish in the early 20th century as theenergy industry moved to the east bank of the parish to access the Mississippi River, rail and air services.[31] In 1914, land inDestrehan was sold to theMexican Petroleum Company, which began operating anoil refinery in 1918, marking the first appearance of heavy industry in the parish.[31] In 1916, theNew Orleans Refining Company purchased land in what was thenSellers, leading to the town to be renamedNorco.[31] Additional industrial facilities in the energy industry or supporting the industry were built in New Sarpy,Good Hope, andSt. Rose.[31]
In 1921, the "Little Red Church" burned andSt. Charles Borromeo Church was built on the property that same year with the formal dedication taking place on January 25, 1922.[32]
In 1924, the first public high schools in the parish opened.[33]Destrehan High School opened on the east bank andHahnville High School opened on the west bank of the parish.[33]
Since the establishment of the German Coast,levees were the responsibility of landowners and breaches in these levees called "crevasses" were always a major concern due to the extensive flooding they caused.[34] Previous crevasses in the areas of Hymelia andBonnet Carré caused extensive damage to the area.[34] Another crevasse during theGreat Mississippi Flood of 1927 between the towns ofMontz andLaPlace badly damaged Montz.[34] Flood Control Acts had previously been passed, but because of the size of the devastation inArkansas,Mississippi andLouisiana, authorization of theMississippi River and Tributaries Project in theFlood Control Act of 1928 was passed.[34] The act called for the “levees only” policy that failed to be discarded and allowed for improved levees andfloodways or "spillways" to be built.[34]
Between 1929 and 1931, theBonnet Carré Spillway, aflood control structure was built and allows floodwaters from theMississippi River to flow intoLake Pontchartrain.[35] This site was chosen because four major crevasses had previously occurred at this location.[34]
The first appearance of industry on the west bank came in 1952 when theLion Oil Company began construction of their facility inLuling.[36] In 1955,Royal Dutch Shell opened the Shell Chemical Plant in Norco after their forerunner, Shell Petroleum Corporation, previously acquired the New Orleans Refining Company oil refinery in 1929.[37]
The 1960s saw a new industry come to St. Charles Parish asgrain elevators were built inAma and Destrehan. Additionally,chemical plants were built in Taft in the 1960s.[36] In 1963, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church moved to Hahnville with the building being completed in 1964.[28]
In 1971, theLouisiana State Legislature officially recognized 22 Louisiana parishes, including St. Charles Parish, and "other parishes of similar cultural environment" for their "strong French Acadian cultural aspects" (House Concurrent Resolution No. 496, June 6, 1971, authored byCarl W. Bauer ofSt. Mary Parish), and made the "Heart of Acadiana" the official name of the region. The public, however, prefers the one-word place nameAcadiana to refer to the region.[38] The official term appears on regional maps and highway markers.
On October 20, 1976, theMV George Prince ferry disaster occurred on theMississippi River.[39] TheLuling–Destrehan FerryGeorge Prince was struck by theNorwegian tankerSS Frosta. Ninety-six passengers and crew were aboard the ferry when it was struck, and seventy-eight perished.[40][41][42] On October 6, 1983, seven-years after the ferry disaster, theHale Boggs Memorial Bridge opened.[43] The bridge, originally named the Luling–Destrehan Bridge, connected the east bank and west bank of the parish by bridge for the first time. 1983 also saw the end of ferry service in the parish, marking the first time since the 1800s this service was not available.[44]
In 1985, theLouisiana Power and Light Company began operation of theWaterford Nuclear Generating Station on Charles Frédérique d'Arensbourg's original land grant of Karlstein.[45]
On September 5, 2000, the town of Good Hope was annexed by Norco.[46] This was the eventual result of a 1983 buyout of all residential and commercial property byGood Hope Refinery; the town is listed as aghost town.[46] Also in 2000, Taft had a population of zero residents and is now also listed as a ghost town.[47]
On March 26, 2002, theDavis Pond Freshwater Diversion Project dedication ceremony was held near Luling after construction began on the project in 1997.[48] In 2007, the East Bank Hurricane Protection Levee was completed.[49] The levee protects the majority of the east bank fromLake Pontchartrain and Labranche Wetlands flood waters.[50]
On August 29, 2021, St. Charles Parish was devastated byHurricane Ida. Parish President Matthew Jewel stated that "Nearly every structure in the parish has damage ranging from cosmetic damage to a total collapse of a home or building."[51]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 411 square miles (1,060 km2), of which 279 square miles (720 km2) is land and 132 square miles (340 km2) (32%) is water.[52]
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 3,291 | — | |
| 1820 | 3,862 | 17.4% | |
| 1830 | 5,147 | 33.3% | |
| 1840 | 4,700 | −8.7% | |
| 1850 | 5,120 | 8.9% | |
| 1860 | 5,297 | 3.5% | |
| 1870 | 4,867 | −8.1% | |
| 1880 | 7,161 | 47.1% | |
| 1890 | 7,737 | 8.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,072 | 17.3% | |
| 1910 | 11,207 | 23.5% | |
| 1920 | 8,586 | −23.4% | |
| 1930 | 12,111 | 41.1% | |
| 1940 | 12,321 | 1.7% | |
| 1950 | 13,363 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 21,219 | 58.8% | |
| 1970 | 29,550 | 39.3% | |
| 1980 | 37,259 | 26.1% | |
| 1990 | 42,437 | 13.9% | |
| 2000 | 48,072 | 13.3% | |
| 2010 | 52,780 | 9.8% | |
| 2020 | 52,549 | −0.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[53] 1790–1960[54] 1900–1990[55] 1990–2000[56] 2010–2013[57] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[59] | Pop 1990[60] | Pop 2000[61] | Pop 2010[62] | Pop 2020[63] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 26,944 | 30,913 | 33,901 | 34,925 | 32,708 | 72.32% | 72.84% | 70.52% | 66.17% | 62.24% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,313 | 10,164 | 12,043 | 13,925 | 13,024 | 25.00% | 23.95% | 25.05% | 26.38% | 24.78% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 68 | 111 | 119 | 160 | 215 | 0.18% | 0.26% | 0.25% | 0.30% | 0.41% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 73 | 157 | 265 | 435 | 555 | 0.20% | 0.37% | 0.55% | 0.82% | 1.06% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[64] | x[65] | 4 | 18 | 20 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 38 | 22 | 52 | 57 | 172 | 0.10% | 0.05% | 0.11% | 0.11% | 0.33% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[66] | x[67] | 342 | 612 | 1,714 | x | x | 0.71% | 1.16% | 3.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 823 | 1,070 | 1,346 | 2,648 | 4,141 | 2.21% | 2.52% | 2.80% | 5.02% | 7.88% |
| Total | 37,259 | 42,437 | 48,072 | 52,780 | 52,549 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
At the2020 United States census, there were 52,549 people, 19,212 households, and 14,463 families residing in the parish. At the 2019American Community Survey, there were 52,773 people and 19,212 households in the parish.[68] Of the population, 7.1% spoke another language other than English at home; the second most spoken language in the parish wasSpanish.
In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Charles was 69.2%non-Hispanic white, 26.6%Black and African American, 0.4%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Asian alone, 1.7% some other race, and 1.0%two or more races. Hispanic and Latin Americans of any race made up 6.1% of the population.[68] An estimated 3.3% of the population were foreign-born. In 2020, its makeup was 62.24% non-Hispanic white, 24.78% Black or African American, 0.41% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.59% two or more races or of some other race, and 7.88% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.[69]
The median age was 37.9, and 6.2% of the parish was aged 5 and under. Of the 19,212 households in 2019, there were 20,710 housing units spread throughout the parish, and 4,349 corporations.[68] Approximately 80.7% of the parish lived in owner-occupied units, and the median housing value was $207,700. The median gross rent was $978. St. Charles had a median household income of $69,019 and 15.1% lived at or below the poverty line. Among the population, males had a median income of $43,589 versus $43,022 for females, closing thegender pay gap.[68]
In common with much of southern Louisiana, Christianity through theRoman Catholic Church has been the largest religious group for the parish. Its Catholic population numbered 21,947 at the 2020 study by theAssociation of Religion Data Archives. Following,Southern Baptists,National Baptists, andFull Gospel Baptists were the largest Protestant groups, though non/inter-denominational Protestantism numbered 1,440.[70]
St. Charles Parish Public Schools operates public schools in St. Charles Parish.
Upper secondary education
St. Charles Parish is in the service area ofDelgado Community College.[71]
St. Charles Parish is governed by an executive branch and legislative branch. The executive branch is headed by the elected Parish President; currently Matthew Jewell.
The legislative branch consists of an elected nine-member council. The parish is divided into sevensingle-member districts, each of which is represented by an elected district council member. In addition, twoat-large seats are elected on a parish-wide basis. The at-large seats are divided into an "A" seat and a "B" seat. The "A" seat representative must be a resident of the parish's east bank while the "B" seat must be held by a resident of the west bank.[72] The last parish council election was in October / November 2019.
Members of the St. Charles Parish Council as of January 2020:
| District | Council Member |
|---|---|
| At-Large Division "A" | Wendy Benedetto |
| At-Large Division "B" | Holly Fonseca |
| 1 | La Sandra Darensbourg Gordon |
| 2 | Mary K. Clulee |
| 3 | Dick Gibbs |
| 4 | Nicky Dufrene |
| 5 | Marilyn B. Bellock |
| 6 | Bob Fisher |
| 7 | Julia Fisher-Perrier |
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion with: general information and details that provide context for the election results table. You can help byadding to it. Find sources: "St. Charles Parish, Louisiana" Politics – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2024) |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 28 | 13.33% | 157 | 74.76% | 25 | 11.90% |
| 1916 | 30 | 9.09% | 297 | 90.00% | 3 | 0.91% |
| 1920 | 92 | 33.45% | 183 | 66.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 132 | 21.29% | 488 | 78.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 108 | 8.82% | 1,116 | 91.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 86 | 5.66% | 1,429 | 94.08% | 4 | 0.26% |
| 1936 | 96 | 6.00% | 1,503 | 94.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 153 | 8.98% | 1,550 | 91.02% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 174 | 8.21% | 1,945 | 91.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 286 | 11.87% | 914 | 37.93% | 1,210 | 50.21% |
| 1952 | 1,086 | 28.84% | 2,679 | 71.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,417 | 57.86% | 1,671 | 40.00% | 89 | 2.13% |
| 1960 | 1,377 | 20.86% | 4,708 | 71.31% | 517 | 7.83% |
| 1964 | 2,715 | 34.81% | 5,085 | 65.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,675 | 18.35% | 3,070 | 33.63% | 4,383 | 48.02% |
| 1972 | 5,469 | 60.42% | 2,788 | 30.80% | 795 | 8.78% |
| 1976 | 4,270 | 37.11% | 6,872 | 59.73% | 363 | 3.16% |
| 1980 | 6,779 | 44.83% | 7,898 | 52.23% | 446 | 2.95% |
| 1984 | 10,185 | 59.62% | 6,784 | 39.71% | 113 | 0.66% |
| 1988 | 9,685 | 53.82% | 7,973 | 44.31% | 337 | 1.87% |
| 1992 | 9,158 | 43.87% | 8,810 | 42.20% | 2,909 | 13.93% |
| 1996 | 9,316 | 43.55% | 10,612 | 49.61% | 1,465 | 6.85% |
| 2000 | 11,981 | 55.70% | 8,918 | 41.46% | 611 | 2.84% |
| 2004 | 14,747 | 61.87% | 8,856 | 37.15% | 234 | 0.98% |
| 2008 | 16,457 | 64.80% | 8,522 | 33.56% | 418 | 1.65% |
| 2012 | 15,937 | 62.91% | 8,896 | 35.12% | 500 | 1.97% |
| 2016 | 16,621 | 63.46% | 8,559 | 32.68% | 1,012 | 3.86% |
| 2020 | 18,233 | 63.94% | 9,800 | 34.37% | 484 | 1.70% |
| 2024 | 17,443 | 65.37% | 8,812 | 33.02% | 430 | 1.61% |
As parish seat,Hahnville is the site of the parish courthouse.
St. Charles Parish comprises the 29th Judicial District, Louisiana.
U.S. Highway 61
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Municipalities and communities ofSt. Charles Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated areas | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Former populated places | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes | |
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