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Cameron Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
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 Location within the U.S. state ofLouisiana | |
 Louisiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:29°51′N93°12′W / 29.85°N 93.2°W /29.85; -93.2 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1870 |
| Named after | Simon Cameron |
| Seat | Cameron |
| Largest community | Grand Lake |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,937 sq mi (5,020 km2) |
| • Land | 1,285 sq mi (3,330 km2) |
| • Water | 652 sq mi (1,690 km2) 34% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,617 |
| • Density | 4.37/sq mi (1.69/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
Cameron Parish (French:Paroisse de Cameron) is aparish in the southwest corner of theU.S. state ofLouisiana. As of the2020 census, the population was 5,617. Theparish seat isCameron.[2] Although it is the largest parish by area in Louisiana, it has the second-smallest population in the state, ahead of onlyTensas. Cameron Parish is part of theLake Charlesmetropolitan statistical area.
This was part of La Louisiane, colonized by the French beginning in the 17th and early 18th centuries. They encountered theAtakapa andChoctaw indigenous peoples, who had occupied this area for thousands of years.
In the late 1700s, after France had ceded New France (Canada) and other holdings east of the Mississippi River toGreat Britain following its defeat in 1763 in theSeven Years' War, a number of French-speaking refugee families fromAcadia settled in this part of coastal Louisiana. Some had fought against the British with Indian allies during the war in Acadia. Among them were Joseph "Beausoleil" Broussard, his brothers Alexander and Pierre, and their wives and families, who first went toSaint-Domingue (now Haiti) before settling in Louisiana. The British expelled many Acadians for their resistance, particularly their refusal to make loyalty oaths to Great Britain.[3] Numerous other French-speaking families settled here and their descendants populate the smaller towns.
In the 18th century, France ceded its holdings in Louisiana and other areas west of the Mississippi River to Spain, and the Spanish colonial government made grants of land to the Acadians. France took control of this territory again at the turn of the nineteenth century for a short period underNapoleon Bonaparte.
In 1803, Napoleon sold all the French territory west of the Mississippi River to the United States in theLouisiana Purchase. The US was particularly intent on getting control of New Orleans, an important port for its large agricultural interests in what is now the Midwest. Early Anglo-American settlers[where?] after the Louisiana Purchase included John M. Smith, Millege McCall, John William Sweeney, George W. Wakefield, William Doxey, James Hale, James Root, and John M. Miller.[4]
In 1807, this territory became part of Calcasieu Parish, established by the new Louisiana Territory legislature. The western part of this coastal area was included in what was called No Man's Land, a disputed area of control between Spain and the US after the Purchase. In the 1806Neutral Ground agreement, both parties agreed to leave this free of military occupation or civil law enforcement.[5] The area between theCalcasieu River (at the time known to the Spanish as the Arroyo Hondo) on the east and theSabine River on the west became a hotbed of outlaws, pirates includingJean Lafitte, and other nefarious characters for many years.[5] It was finally acquired by the United States in 1819 under theAdams-Onis Treaty with Spain. (In 1870 these two rivers were designated as the eastern and western boundaries, respectively, of the new Cameron Parish, taken from the southern part of Calcasieu Parish.)
During theAmerican Civil War, loyalties in this area and in the greater coastal area were divided between Unionists and Confederates. Bands of local "Jayhawkers," also known as bushwhackers, were active in the area. There were numerous Unionists near Sabine Lake and Leesburg (now Cameron). Others were located near the mouth of the Calcasieu and nearGrand Chenier, then in Vermilion Parish. The Union Navy had forces at Sabine Lake.[5]
The Mermentau Jayhawkers were made up of a band of "200 mounted draft dodgers, bushwhackers, cattle thieves, runaway slaves, and Confederate deserters from Texas and Louisiana."[5] They regularly raided federal supply lines and plundered from the local people, earning the enmity of both Union and Confederate regulars. If caught by Confederate forces, Jayhawker deserters were quickly court-martialed and executed. Local forces also organized as Regulators in an effort to protect women and children of local families, and repulse the Jayhawkers. After the end of the war, some of thevigilante Regulators turned to suppressing blacks and resisting Reconstruction.[5]
Cameron Parish was organized in 1870 during theReconstruction era and was made up of portions ofCalcasieu andVermilion parishes. It was one of several new parishes organized by the Republican-dominated legislature to create new centers of Republican political strength. Cameron Parish is named for RepublicanSimon Cameron, aPennsylvanian who was PresidentAbraham Lincoln's firstsecretary of war. Today its population is overwhelmingly majority white and Republican in the 21st-century realignment.
This is among the largest civil parishes in Louisiana, yet the least populated, owing to the high proportion of land area made up of marsh and wetlands. Cameron Parish comprises a large portion of the LouisianaChenier Plain; it is home to numerous cheniers, and elevated fertile ridges that occur in certain coastal regions, particularly in Louisiana. These were developed for cotton plantations both before and after the Civil War; settlers also raised stock.
In 1937, thePure Oil Company discovered the first Louisiana offshore oil field, the Creole Field, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from the shore of Cameron Parish, from a platform built ontimber pilings in 10-to-15-foot-deep (3.0 to 4.6 m) water.[6][7]
Some of southwest Louisiana was developed for industrial processing and export of oil products. In some areas, wetlands were drained and bayous dredged for navigation. This has been found to increase erosion of the wetlands and loss to area soils, with loss of coastline. Small farmers and hunters continued to makesubsistence living in some rural areas.
From the mid-20th century to the early 21st century, the parish was severely damaged four times and its history was marked by hurricanes Audrey, Rita, Ike, and Laura.
It was devastated byHurricane Audrey on June 27, 1957, which caused more than 390 deaths. Authors Nola Mae Ross and Susan McFillen Goodson chronicled the stories of many survivors in their bookHurricane Audrey (1997).[8] National press coverage at the time recounted tales of tragedy and heroism.[9] TheAmerican Medical Association honored a local Cameron physician, Cecil Clark, as the 'General Practitioner of the Year' in recognition of his dedicated service despite the great personal loss.[10] Hurricane Audrey was a defining event for Cameron Parish for nearly 50 years, with local history being divided into "before" and "after" the storm.
On September 24, 2005, much of the parish was destroyed byHurricane Rita. The movieLittle Chenier was filmed in Southwest Louisiana just prior to Hurricane Rita. It contains some of the only film images of the area before it was destroyed.
In 2008, three years after Rita,Hurricane Ike came ashore at High Island, TX with a 22-foot (6.7 m) storm surge, which was far worse than Rita's 10-foot (3.0 m) surge.[11] Nearly all of the coastline in that area was flooded heavily, with surge and floodwaters reaching 60 miles inland,[12] as far north asLake Charles.[13] In Cameron Parish the communities ofCameron,Holly Beach,Hackberry, Creole, and Grand Chenier were essentially destroyed.From 2000 to 2010, the population in the parish dropped by nearly one-third as a result of the two hurricanes in 2005 and 2008.
In 2020,Hurricane Laura made landfall nearCameron, boasting winds of over 150-mile-per-hour (240 km/h) winds and 9-foot (2.7 m) storm surge early on August 27, with the water reaching northwards towardsLake Charles.Hurricane Delta made landfall inCreole six weeks later as a Category 2 hurricane with 100-mile-per-hour (160 km/h) winds on October 9, 2020.
There are tourist destinations for hunting and fishing.
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According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1,937 square miles (5,020 km2), of which 1,285 square miles (3,330 km2) is land and 652 square miles (1,690 km2) (34%) is water.[14] It is the third-largest parish in Louisiana by land area and fourth-largest by total area. Most of the water is associated with marsh on theGulf of Mexico.
There are no incorporated communities in Cameron Parish.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,591 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,416 | 51.9% | |
| 1890 | 2,828 | 17.1% | |
| 1900 | 3,952 | 39.7% | |
| 1910 | 4,288 | 8.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,952 | −7.8% | |
| 1930 | 6,054 | 53.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,203 | 19.0% | |
| 1950 | 6,244 | −13.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,909 | 10.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,194 | 18.6% | |
| 1980 | 9,336 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,260 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 9,991 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 6,839 | −31.5% | |
| 2020 | 5,617 | −17.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2013[19] | |||
The population of the parish dropped by nearly one-third in the decade from 2000 to 2010; it was marked in 2005 and 2008 by extensive damage from hurricanes Rita and Ike.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[20] | Pop 1990[21] | Pop 2000[22] | Pop 2010[23] | Pop 2020[24] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 8,619 | 8,581 | 9,244 | 6,465 | 5,174 | 92.32% | 92.67% | 92.52% | 94.53% | 92.11% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 524 | 498 | 388 | 119 | 71 | 5.61% | 5.38% | 3.88% | 1.74% | 1.26% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 7 | 15 | 37 | 33 | 28 | 0.07% | 0.16% | 0.37% | 0.48% | 0.50% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3 | 20 | 44 | 6 | 13 | 0.03% | 0.22% | 0.44% | 0.09% | 0.23% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[25] | x[26] | 1 | 0 | 1 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.06% | 0.03% | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.14% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[27] | x[28] | 62 | 61 | 125 | x | x | 0.62% | 0.89% | 2.23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 177 | 143 | 215 | 154 | 197 | 1.90% | 1.54% | 2.15% | 2.25% | 3.51% |
| Total | 9,336 | 9,260 | 9,991 | 6,839 | 5,617 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
According to the2020 United States census, there were 5,617 people, 2,734 households, and 2,110 families residing in the parish. During the2010 United States census, there were 6,839 people living in the parish; among them, 95.7% wereWhite, 1.7%Black or African American, 0.5%Native American, 0.1%Asian, 0.8% of some other race and 1.1%of two or more races. 2.3% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 46.5% were ofFrench,French Canadian orCajun ancestry, 18.7%American, 5.8%English and 5.0%Irish ancestry.[29] By 2020, its racial makeup was 92.11% non-Hispanic white, 1.26% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.37% other or mixed, and 3.51% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[30]
Cameron Parish School Board operates local public schools within all of Cameron Parish.[31]
Cameron Parish is in the service area ofSowela Technical Community College.[32]
Cameron Parish Public Library is a public library system in Cameron Parish. All of the libraries are located inunincorporated areas.
The main Cameron Parish Library is at 512 Marshall Street.[33] It was formerly at 469 Marshall Street in theCameron CDP.[34]
The system operates six[33]
Cameron Parish, once solidly Democratic, has trended sharply Republican in recent years. Like otherAcadian parishes with largeCajun populations, Cameron has turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.[35] The Republican nominee has won upwards of 80% of the vote in every presidential election since 2008. With Donald Trump receiving almost 91% of the vote in 2020 in Cameron, as well as over 92% of the vote in 2024, it was the ‘reddest’ parish in the State in both elections.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 13 | 9.22% | 119 | 84.40% | 9 | 6.38% |
| 1916 | 10 | 5.78% | 163 | 94.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 11 | 7.01% | 146 | 92.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 20 | 5.36% | 353 | 94.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 41 | 9.51% | 390 | 90.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 10 | 1.05% | 938 | 98.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 16 | 1.48% | 1,067 | 98.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 48 | 3.92% | 1,175 | 96.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 86 | 7.74% | 1,025 | 92.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 87 | 7.75% | 742 | 66.07% | 294 | 26.18% |
| 1952 | 684 | 40.50% | 1,005 | 59.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 547 | 40.22% | 794 | 58.38% | 19 | 1.40% |
| 1960 | 322 | 13.76% | 1,944 | 83.08% | 74 | 3.16% |
| 1964 | 871 | 35.59% | 1,576 | 64.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 405 | 15.62% | 533 | 20.56% | 1,655 | 63.83% |
| 1972 | 1,391 | 60.90% | 739 | 32.36% | 154 | 6.74% |
| 1976 | 819 | 24.54% | 2,432 | 72.86% | 87 | 2.61% |
| 1980 | 1,449 | 38.15% | 2,221 | 58.48% | 128 | 3.37% |
| 1984 | 2,265 | 57.99% | 1,608 | 41.17% | 33 | 0.84% |
| 1988 | 1,775 | 43.61% | 2,257 | 55.45% | 38 | 0.93% |
| 1992 | 1,329 | 30.64% | 1,985 | 45.76% | 1,024 | 23.61% |
| 1996 | 1,365 | 32.91% | 2,103 | 50.70% | 680 | 16.39% |
| 2000 | 2,593 | 61.99% | 1,435 | 34.31% | 155 | 3.71% |
| 2004 | 3,190 | 68.75% | 1,367 | 29.46% | 83 | 1.79% |
| 2008 | 3,089 | 81.44% | 613 | 16.16% | 91 | 2.40% |
| 2012 | 3,260 | 87.07% | 408 | 10.90% | 76 | 2.03% |
| 2016 | 3,256 | 88.19% | 323 | 8.75% | 113 | 3.06% |
| 2020 | 3,671 | 90.89% | 324 | 8.02% | 44 | 1.09% |
| 2024 | 3,120 | 92.80% | 219 | 6.51% | 23 | 0.68% |
Cameron Main Library 512 Marshall St Cameron, LA 70631
Geology
Places adjacent to Cameron Parish, Louisiana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCameron Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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| CDPs |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
29°51′N93°12′W / 29.85°N 93.20°W /29.85; -93.20
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
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