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St. Francisville, Louisiana
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St. Francisville is a town in and the parish seat of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] The population was 1,712 at the 2000 census.
Geography
St. Francisville is located at 30°47′5″N, 91°22′50″W[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
History
The town of St. Francisville was established in 1809, planned by Johnson. Said to be a town "two miles long and two yards wide", St. Francisville is set in a unique location on a bluff of the Mississippi river. Several of the buildings in the town today were moved up the hill from the town of Bayou Sara which had been founded on the east bank of the river in 1790 and had grown into the largest shipping port on the Mississippi between Natchez and New Orleans.
St. Francisville was the capital of the short-lived Republic of West Florida in 1810.
Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of Zachary Taylor, and wife of Jefferson Davis, stayed in St. Francisville as a newlywed for three months until her untimely death in 1835. She is buried in St. Francisville.
The town was and is the center of West Feliciana Parish.
St. Francisville is home to many houses and plantation homes that are on the national register of historic places. These include The Myrtles Plantation, Rosedown Plantation, Greenwood Plantation, Butler Greenwood Plantation, Oakley Plantation and many others. Many of the historic homes are open for tours and some operate as Bed and Breakfasts.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,712 people, 693 households, and 456 families residing in the town. The population density was 936.9 people per square mile (361.2/km²). There were 783 housing units at an average density of 428.5/sq mi (165.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.03% White, 27.22% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 693 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% ware non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,262, and the median income for a family was $54,333. Males had a median income of $41,563 versus $25,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,639. About 5.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.4% of those 65 and older.
Attractions
Angola Prison Rodeo
The first Angola Prison Rodeo was held in 1965. That first rodeo was very different from the huge, all day event that we now experience. For just $10.00 people can attend the Angola Rodeo the 3rd weekend in April or every Sunday in October. Today’s rodeo includes Arts and Crafts, which are made and sold by inmates, starting at 9:00 a.m., the different rodeo events held in the 7,500 maximum capacity arena, and various concessions available throughout the grounds. For more information on rodeo events you can visit Angola Rodeo Although the rodeo was started by individuals at Angola, there has been nothing to prove any one person responsible for the start of this event. All funds received from sales at the rodeo go into covering event expenses and also to the Louisiana State Penitentiary Inmate Welfare Fund, which provides for inmate educational and recreational supplies. Additional information and history on Angola and the rodeo can be found at Angola Museum
Education
West Feliciana Parish Public Schools serves the city. All of the public schools in the parish are located in unincorporated areas.
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
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