Ascension Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Ascension Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. It is the fastest growing parish in the state. Its population is 107,215 which is 39.9% greater than the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

. One of the major reasons for parish growth is the number of families wanting to move their children from the East Baton Rouge Parish public schools to the higher-performing Ascension public school system, which is the best school system in Louisiana.

Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Baton Rouge metropolitan area
The Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a sprawling area consisting of nine parishes in Louisiana, anchored by the city of Baton Rouge...

 as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part
Pierre Part, Louisiana
Pierre Part is a census-designated place in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,239 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Assumption Parish...

 Combined Statistical Area
Baton Rouge-Pierre Part combined statistical area
The Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical Area is made up of ten parishes in southeastern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area...

.

During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, desertions had been of major concern to the Confederacy. Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen was an American soldier and politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...

, before he was governor, reported more than eight thousand deserters and draft-dodgers about Bayou Teche
Bayou Teche
The Bayou Teche is a waterway of great cultural significance in south central Louisiana in the United States. Bayou Teche was the Mississippi River's main course when it developed a delta about 2,800 to 4,500 years ago...

. There were some 1,200 deserters in Livingston
Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Livingston Parish Is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Livingston. As of 2010, its population was 128,026....

, St. Tammany
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....

, and Ascension parishes. Planters in Ascension Parish later complained of raids by guerrillas. In 1864, planter W.R. Hodges requested soldiers to protect the planted fields from such attacks. Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

 soldiers were accused of "wandering about at will, and helping themselves . . . to whatever could be found," explains the historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

 John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...

 in his The Civil War in Louisiana (1963).

Law and government

Long a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 bastion, Ascension Parish has become fertile ground for Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 as the indigenous traditionalism has grown less comfortable with the Democratic Party on a national scale and as immigration has brought in new residents who are politically conservative. Since 2000, nearly 14,000 new voters have registered in Ascension Parish, and fewer than 1,000 of those are official Democrats.

Democrats still lead in registrants with 28,181; Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 follow with 16,218. There are also 13,052 "No Party" registrants, as permitted under Louisiana law. Robert Poche, Ascension Parish voter registrar told the Advocate (Baton Rouge) in 2007 that "History tells us that those with no party affiliation have been voting conservatively."

Ascension Parish also had a small number of voters registered as upper case Independents. As of April 2007 there were 31 Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...

 members and 33 Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...

 registrants. The total registrants in April 2007 stood at 58,221.

Republican Eddie J. Lambert
Eddie J. Lambert
Eddie Joseph Lambert is an attorney from Prairieville, Louisiana, who is a second-term member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 59 in Ascension Parish.-Background:...

, an attorney in Gonzales who resides in Prairieville, has represented Ascension Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...

 since 2004 and is a candidate for reelection in 2011.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 303 square miles (784.8 km²). 292 square miles (756.3 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28.5 km²) (3.75%) is water.

Major highways

  • Interstate 10
    Interstate 10
    Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...

  • U.S. Highway 61
  • Louisiana Highway 1
    Louisiana Highway 1
    Louisiana Highway 1 is a state highway in Louisiana. At 436.20 miles , it is the longest numbered highway of any class in Louisiana. It runs diagonally across the state, connecting the oil and gas fields near the island of Grand Isle with the northwest corner of the state, north of Shreveport.The...

  • Louisiana Highway 16
    Louisiana Highway 16
    Louisiana Highway 16 is a state highway in Louisiana. It runs from west to east for .-Route description:From the east, LA 16 begins in Sun at a junction with LA 21 and heads west northwest into Washington Parish. At an intersection with LA 60, LA 16 turns north-northwest towards Franklinton, where...

  • Louisiana Highway 18
    Louisiana Highway 18
    Louisiana Highway 18 is a state highway in Louisiana that serves Ascension, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and Jefferson Parishes. Called the Great River Road, it runs from west to east, parallel to the west bank of the Mississippi River, running from Donaldsonville to Gretna. It...

  • Louisiana Highway 73
    Louisiana Highway 73
    Highway 73 is a highway stretching from Geismar, Louisiana, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hwy. 73 was built as a bypass to the backbends of River Road. It was soon after bypassed itself in a more complete way with U.S...

  • Louisiana Highway 22
    Louisiana Highway 22
    Louisiana Highway 22 is a state highway in Louisiana that serves St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Livingston, and Ascension Parishes. It spans in a rough east/west direction and is bannered in each cardinal direction ....

  • Louisiana Highway 30
    Louisiana Highway 30
    Louisiana Highway 30 is a state highway in Louisiana that serves East Baton Rouge, Iberville, and Ascension Parishes. It spans in roughly a southeast/northwest direction.-Route description:...

  • Louisiana Highway 42
  • Louisiana Highway 44

Adjacent parishes

  • East Baton Rouge Parish
    East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
    East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...

      (north)
  • Livingston Parish
    Livingston Parish, Louisiana
    Livingston Parish Is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Livingston. As of 2010, its population was 128,026....

      (northeast)
  • St. John the Baptist Parish
    St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
    St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area and the unofficial parish captial is LaPlace, an unincorporated area. St. John the Baptist is one of the original 19 parishes in Louisiana. In 2010, its population was...

      (east)
  • St. James Parish  (southeast)
  • Assumption Parish
    Assumption Parish, Louisiana
    Assumption Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and was formed in 1807 as an original parish of the Louisiana Territory. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. In 2000, its population was 23,388. Assumption is one of the 22 Acadiana parishes. Its major product is sugarcane...

      (southwest)
  • Iberville Parish
    Iberville Parish, Louisiana
    Iberville Parish is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Plaquemine. The 2010 population of the parish was 33,387....

      (west)

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 76,627 people, 26,691 households, and 20,792 families residing in the parish. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 263 people per square mile (101/km²). There were 29,172 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile (39/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 77.39% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 20.28% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.27% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.34% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.99% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 2.46% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 94.46% of the population spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 at home, while 2.76% spoke French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 or Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....

, and 2.41% spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

.

There were 26,691 households out of which 42.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.10% were non-families. 18.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the parish the population was spread out with 30.10% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 7.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $44,288, and the median income for a family was $50,626. Males had a median income of $41,109 versus $23,054 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the parish was $17,858. About 10.70% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.30% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities, towns, and villages

Incorporated

  • Donaldsonville
    Donaldsonville, Louisiana
    Donaldsonville is a city in and the parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Acadians began to settle in the area in...

  • Gonzales
    Gonzales, Louisiana
    Gonzales is a city in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,156 at the 2000 census. It has been called the "jambalaya capital of the world" and is famous for its annual Jambalaya Festival. Gonzales is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.State...

  • Sorrento
    Sorrento, Louisiana
    Sorrento is a town in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,227 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sorrento is located at ....


Unincorporated

  • Abend
  • Acy
    Acy, Louisiana
    Acy, Louisiana is a small unincorporated community in the southeastern part of the state. Acy is located about 30 miles southeast of Baton Rouge and about 45 miles northwest of New Orleans on Louisiana Highway 22 in the parish of Ascension....

  • Barmen
  • Belle Helene
  • Bowden
  • Brignac
  • Brittany
  • Bullion
  • Burnside
    Burnside, Louisiana
    Burnside, Louisiana is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. It was founded by French and German settlers in 1726. It is the location of three places listed on the National Register of Historic Places: The Houmas, St. Joseph's School, and Tezcuco....

  • Cofield
  • Cornerview
  • Darrow
    Darrow, Louisiana
    Darrow, Louisiana is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. It is the location of three properties listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places: Bocage, Helvetia Dependency, and Hermitage....

  • Duckroost
  • Duplessis
    Duplessis, Louisiana
    Duplessis, Louisiana, is a community located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. It is north of Gonzales....

  • Dutchtown
    Dutchtown, Louisiana
    Dutchtown, Louisiana is an unincorporated area of Ascension Parish, Louisiana....

  • Galvez
    Galvez, Louisiana
    Galvez is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, 10 miles southeast of Baton Rouge. It is surrounded by the larger unincorporated community of Prairieville, with which it shares the 70769 ZIP code....

  • Geismar
  • Hillaryville
  • Hobart
    Hobart, Louisiana
    Hobart is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, located in the vicinity of Prarieville. Hobart is located on State Highway 42....

  • Hohen Solms
  • Hope Villa
  • Lake
    Lake, Louisiana
    Lake is a place located in Ascension Parish in the State of Louisiana in the United States of America. It is located at latitude 30°17'59" North, longitude 90°51'10" West....

  • Lemannville
  • Little Prairie
  • McElroy
  • Marchand
    Marchand, Louisiana
    Marchand, Louisiana is a small unincorporated community in the state of Louisiana and within Ascension Parish. It is located on State Highway 75 that runs north and south on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Intersecting Bowden and Whitney Roads are located near the center of the community...

  • Miles
  • Modeste
  • Mount Houmas
  • Oak Grove
  • Noel
  • Palo Alto
  • Philadelphia Point
  • Prairieville
    Prairieville, Louisiana
    Prairieville is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is south of Baton Rouge and north of Gonzales, Louisiana. The latitude of is 30.302N. The longitude is -90.971W. Elevation is ....

  • Saint Elmo
  • Saint Amant
  • Smoke Bend
  • Southwood
  • Weber City

  • Waterways

    • Alligator Bayou
    • Amite River
      Amite River
      The Amite River is a tributary of Lake Maurepas in Mississippi and Louisiana in the United States. It is about long. It starts as two forks in southwestern Mississippi and flows south through Louisiana, passing Greater Baton Rouge, to Lake Maurepas. The lower of the river is navigable...

    • Amite River Diversion Canal
    • Anderson Canal
    • Babin Canal
    • Bayou Antoine
    • Bayou Manchac
      Bayou Manchac
      Bayou Manchac is an bayou in southeast Louisiana. This bayou was once a very important waterway linking the Mississippi River to the Amite River.-Exploration:...

    • Bayou Narcisse
    • Bayou Pierre
    • Bayou Reponds Pas
    • Bayou Conway
    • Bayou Francois
    • Bayou Lafourche
      Bayou Lafourche
      Bayou Lafourche, originally called Chetimachas River, is a bayou in southeastern Louisiana, United States, that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The first settlements of Acadians in southern Louisiana were near Bayou Lafourche and Bayou des Écores, which led to a close association of the bayou with...

  • Bayou Napoleon
  • Bayou Verret
  • Bayou Vicknair
  • Black Bayou
  • Blind River
  • Boudreau Bayou
  • Boyle Bayou
  • Braud Bayou
  • Cocodrie Bayou
  • Cotton Bayou
  • Crowley Ditch
  • Duckroost Bayou
  • Flat Lake
  • Grand Goudine Bayou
  • Hackett Canal
  • Heath Bayou
  • Henderson Bayou
  • Jim Bayou
  • Johnson Bayou
  • Lake Millet
  • Lake Villars
  • Laurel Ridge Canal
  • McCall Bayou
  • Mississippi River
    Mississippi River
    The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

  • Muddy Creek
  • New River
    New River (Louisiana)
    The New River is a waterway located in Louisiana in Ascension Parish. Its source is near the Mississippi River in Geismar where the two rivers were once connected. Before the levees were built to contain the Mississippi River, the New River was a distributary and a much larger river than it is...

  • New River Canal
  • Old New River
  • Panama Canal
  • Pipeline Canal
  • Rocky Canal
  • Roddy Bayou
  • Saveiro Canal
  • Sides Bayou
  • Smith Bayou
  • Spanish Lake
    Spanish Lake (Louisiana)
    Spanish Lake is located in the Bluff Swamp on the Iberville - Ascension Parish line. It is fed into by Alligator Bayou, Brand Bayou, Bayou Braud, and Bayou Paul. Spanish Lake is a part of the Bluff Swamp Wildlife Refuge and Botanical Gardens, a national non-profit organization which has...

  • Welsh Gully

  • Education

    Ascension Parish School Board
    Ascension Parish School Board
    Ascension Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, United States.The district serves Ascension Parish.-School uniforms:...

     operates local public schools. The parish is also home to private schools.

    National Guard

    The 922nd Engineer
    Engineer
    An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

     Company
    Company
    A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...

     (Horizontal), a unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion
    Battalion
    A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

     and the 225th Engineer Brigade.

    Media

    Two newspapers are based in Ascension Parish's two cities, Donaldsonville and Gonzales. The Gonzales Weekly Citizen
    The Gonzales Weekly Citizen
    The Gonzales Weekly Citizen is a bi-weekly newspaper published in Gonzales, Louisiana. The newspaper is published on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is owned by Gatehouse Media. The Gonzales Weekly Citizen is a member of the Louisiana Press Association. News content for the publication is based in the...

     is a bi-weekly newspaper formed after the merger of The Gonzales Weekly (founded 1920) and The Ascension Citizen (founded 1996). The Donaldsonville Chief
    Donaldsonville Chief
    The Donaldsonville Chief is a weekly newspaper published in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. It is owned by Gatehouse Media. The Donaldsonville Chief is a member of the Louisiana Press Association. News content for the publication is based in the City of Donaldsonville, but also includes the Ascension...

    , founded in 1871, is the parish's longest continually published newspaper

    See also

    • National Register of Historic Places listings in Ascension Parish, Louisiana
      National Register of Historic Places listings in Ascension Parish, Louisiana
      This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States...



    Further reading


    External links

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