Assumption Parish, Louisiana

Assumption Parish
Parish
Parish of Assumption
Paroisse de l'Assomption (French)
Parroquia de la Asunción (Spanish)
St. Anne Catholic Church in Napoleonville
St. Anne Catholic Church in Napoleonville
Map of Louisiana highlighting Assumption ParishAssumption Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Coordinates: 29°54′N 91°04′W / 29.9°N 91.06°W / 29.9; -91.06
Country United States
State Louisiana
Founded1807
Named afterAssumption Roman Catholic Church
SeatNapoleonville
Largest communityPierre Part
Area
 • Total
365 sq mi (950 km2)
 • Land339 sq mi (880 km2)
 • Water26 sq mi (67 km2)  7.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,039
 • Density62.1/sq mi (24.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 6th
Websitewww.assumptionla.com

Assumption Parish (French: Paroisse de l'Assomption, Spanish: Parroquia de la Asunción) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,039.[1] Its parish seat is Napoleonville.[2] Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the Territory of Orleans.[3]

Assumption Parish is one of the twenty-two Acadiana parishes. Its major product is sugar cane. In proportion to its area, Assumption Parish produces the most sugar of any parish of Louisiana.

History

In 1807, Assumption became the eighth parish of the Orleans Territory. Its history is rooted in its waterways and its large expanse of fertile soils ideal for farming. Settled in the middle 18th century by French and Spanish settlers, the area retains strong cultural ties to its past with conversational French still common among residents. Assumption was also a final destination for many of the French Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia between 1755 and 1764.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 365 square miles (950 km2), of which 339 square miles (880 km2) is land and 26 square miles (67 km2) (7.1%) is water.[4]

Major highways

Adjacent parishes

Communities

Map of Assumption Parish, with municipal labels

Village

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18102,472—
18203,57644.7%
18305,66958.5%
18407,14126.0%
185010,53847.6%
186015,37945.9%
187013,234−13.9%
188017,01028.5%
189019,62915.4%
190021,62010.1%
191024,12811.6%
192017,912−25.8%
193015,990−10.7%
194018,54116.0%
195017,278−6.8%
196017,9914.1%
197019,6549.2%
198022,08412.4%
199022,7533.0%
200023,3882.8%
201023,4210.1%
202021,039−10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010[9]
Assumption Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980[10]Pop 1990[11]Pop 2000[12]Pop 2010[13]Pop 2020[14]% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)14,57615,03315,56515,44213,58066.00%66.07%66.55%65.93%64.55%
Black or African American alone (NH)6,9417,3087,3037,1115,97331.43%32.12%31.23%30.36%28.39%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)214467132830.10%0.19%0.29%0.56%0.39%
Asian alone (NH)24725356560.11%0.32%0.23%0.24%0.27%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [15]x [16]0110xx0.00%0.05%0.00%
Other race alone (NH)5424170.02%0.02%0.01%0.02%0.08%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [17]x [18]114167416xx0.49%0.71%1.98%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)5172922844989142.34%1.28%1.21%2.13%4.34%
Total22,08422,75323,38823,42121,039 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,039 people, 8,552 households, and 5,484 families residing in the parish. During the 2010 United States census, there were 23,421 people living in the parish. Among its 2010 population, 66.8% were White, 30.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 2.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 38.2% were of French, French Canadian or Cajun and 9.4% American ancestry.[19]

Education

The Assumption Parish School Board operates local public schools. Assumption High School serves the whole parish. There is one private school in the parish, Saint Elizabeth School, which was founded in 1834.

  • Assumption High School
  • Bayou L'Ourse Primary School
  • Belle Rose Middle School
  • Belle Rose Primary School
  • Labadieville Middle School
  • Labadieville Primary School
  • Napoleonville Middle School
  • Napoleonville Primary School
  • Pierre Part Elementary School
  • Saint Elizabeth School

National Guard

The 928th Sapper Company, a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion and the 225th Engineer Brigade.

Politics

Assumption Parish is represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives by Beryl Amedee, a Republican, and Chad Brown, a Democrat. During the "Solid South" era, conflicts over trade policy often caused Assumption Parish to deviate somewhat from overwhelming Democratic support, as did rebellion in the Acadiana region against Woodrow Wilson's perceived hostility towards France.[20]

Since the Dixiecrat revolt, by contrast, Assumption has been a typical rural South Louisiana parish in its political behaviour. It backed Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond in 1948 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 before showing powerful pro-Catholic behaviour in 1960[21] and then turning powerfully against liberal Midwestern Democrats in 1968 and 1972. With the nomination of the more centrist Southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976, Assumption became again Democratic leaning until the 2000s, when, like all of the rural white South, it has turned powerfully Republican.[22]

United States presidential election results for Assumption Parish, Louisiana[23]
YearRepublicanDemocraticThird party(ies)
№ %№ %№ %
191214920.03%42356.85%17223.12%
191622120.41%48945.15%37334.44%
192072578.21%20221.79%00.00%
192460166.34%30533.66%00.00%
192830724.46%94875.54%00.00%
193238620.06%1,53879.94%00.00%
19361,11160.94%71239.06%00.00%
194072229.10%1,75970.90%00.00%
194442623.09%1,41976.91%00.00%
194846925.57%36219.74%1,00354.69%
19521,21042.35%1,64757.65%00.00%
19561,70855.17%1,28241.41%1063.42%
196076618.19%3,01971.69%42610.12%
19642,11240.87%3,05659.13%00.00%
19681,22219.69%2,08533.60%2,89846.70%
19723,75158.93%2,06532.44%5498.63%
19763,11740.42%4,40157.07%1932.50%
19804,00144.10%4,67951.57%3934.33%
19845,43352.43%4,66044.97%2702.61%
19884,01740.19%5,61056.13%3683.68%
19922,92828.01%5,63953.95%1,88618.04%
19962,69826.42%6,41662.83%1,09810.75%
20004,38843.65%5,22251.94%4434.41%
20044,96646.26%5,58552.03%1841.71%
20085,98154.57%4,75643.39%2232.03%
20126,08355.34%4,75443.25%1551.41%
20166,71461.57%3,93136.05%2592.38%
20207,27164.72%3,83334.12%1311.17%
20246,96367.17%3,27331.57%1311.26%

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Assumption Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Assumption Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  9. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  10. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. pp. 15–38.
  12. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Assumption Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Assumption Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Assumption Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. ^ "American FactFinder"
  20. ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, page 211 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
  21. ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 222
  22. ^ Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, The New York Times, April 24, 2014
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 6, 2018.

29°54′N 91°04′W / 29.90°N 91.06°W / 29.90; -91.06

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