Edgard, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Edgard is a census-designated place
(CDP) in and the parish seat
of St. John the Baptist Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 2,637 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans
–Metairie
–Kenner
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. Edgard is part of the German Coast
of Louisiana.
The economic history of Edgard included a saw mill operated by Severin Tassin, a brick factory begun in 1878 and several sugar plantations that operated in the century between 1794 and 1894. By 1899, there were more than fifty family-owned sugar houses still in existence.
The majority of the town's folk worked in the sugar houses, in the fields or in support of the sugar industry. Many families leased land from the Caires and Graugnards on Columbia, cultivating their own produce to sell. In 1899, the river was the scene of some excitement when in the late winter ice could be seen floating down river. The ice flows jammed up the river, interrupting traffic for several days.
In early Edgard, a favorite event of many townspeople was the arrival of the showboat which would dock at Caire's Landing. The excitement was intensified because one never knew when the next boat would arrive. When it did, the sound of the calliope's whistles could be heard as far away as Wallace
. Though the steamboats are gone, one can still see modern vessels passing by, bringing the people of the River Region closer to the world around them.
and has an elevation of 13 feet (4 m).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 17.9 square miles (46.4 km²), of which, 15.5 square miles (40.1 km²) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it (13.09%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,637 people, 857 households, and 695 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 169.7 people per square mile (65.5/km²). There were 905 housing units at an average density of 58.2 per square mile (22.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 4.59% White, 94.84% African American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.27% from two or more races. The cultural groups for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population.
There were 857 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples
living together, 30.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,865, and the median income for a family was $29,706. Males had a median income of $31,029 versus $22,688 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $10,635. About 25.9% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over.
operates public schools in the community.
Areas in Edgard are zoned to:
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in and the parish seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of 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...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,637 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
–Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
–Kenner
Kenner, Louisiana
Kenner is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 66,702 at the 2010 census....
Metropolitan Statistical Area
New Orleans metropolitan area
New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner, or the Greater New Orleans Region is a metropolitan area designated by the United States Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on the city of New Orleans...
. Edgard is part of the German Coast
German Coast
The German Coast was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans on the Mississippi River – specifically, from east to west, in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes of present-day Acadiana. The four settlements along the coast were Karlstein, Hoffen,...
of Louisiana.
History
One of the parish's first communities and a social haunt of the pirate Jean Lafitte, Edgard has been the parish seat since 1848. Originally named St. John the Baptist for the church at its heart, Edgard was renamed in 1850 for its postmaster, Edgar Perret. Edgard's first church, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (1772), was destroyed by the Poche Crevasse in 1821. Another church was soon erected. Unfortunately, in 1918, fire gutted the sacred building. A testament to the Church's place in the community, the parishioners gave generously, and when the new church opened its doors, all debts had been paid.The economic history of Edgard included a saw mill operated by Severin Tassin, a brick factory begun in 1878 and several sugar plantations that operated in the century between 1794 and 1894. By 1899, there were more than fifty family-owned sugar houses still in existence.
The majority of the town's folk worked in the sugar houses, in the fields or in support of the sugar industry. Many families leased land from the Caires and Graugnards on Columbia, cultivating their own produce to sell. In 1899, the river was the scene of some excitement when in the late winter ice could be seen floating down river. The ice flows jammed up the river, interrupting traffic for several days.
In early Edgard, a favorite event of many townspeople was the arrival of the showboat which would dock at Caire's Landing. The excitement was intensified because one never knew when the next boat would arrive. When it did, the sound of the calliope's whistles could be heard as far away as Wallace
Wallace, Louisiana
Wallace is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 570 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Though the steamboats are gone, one can still see modern vessels passing by, bringing the people of the River Region closer to the world around them.
Geography
Edgard is located at 30°2′2"N 90°33′14"W (30.033974, -90.553802), on the west bank of the Mississippi RiverMississippi 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...
and has an elevation of 13 feet (4 m).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 17.9 square miles (46.4 km²), of which, 15.5 square miles (40.1 km²) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it (13.09%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2,637 people, 857 households, and 695 families residing in the CDP. 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 169.7 people per square mile (65.5/km²). There were 905 housing units at an average density of 58.2 per square mile (22.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 4.59% White, 94.84% African American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
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...
, and 0.27% from two or more races. The cultural groups for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population.
There were 857 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% 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, 30.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,865, and the median income for a family was $29,706. Males had a median income of $31,029 versus $22,688 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 CDP was $10,635. About 25.9% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
St. John the Baptist Parish School BoardSt. John the Baptist Parish School Board
St. John the Baptist Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in unincorporated St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States.It serves St. John the Baptist Parish.-High schools:** -K-8 schools:Zoned*** **...
operates public schools in the community.
Areas in Edgard are zoned to:
- West St. John Elementary School
- West St. John High School http://www.stjohn.k12.la.us/schools/WSH/index.htm
Notable natives and residents
- Dave BartholomewDave BartholomewDave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century...
, a musician and songwriter who was a 1991 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. - George E. BurchGeorge E. BurchGeorge Edward Burch was a shaper of modern cardiology during the middle part of the twentieth century, whose accomplishments included elucidating the fundamental physiological basis of important cardiovascular diseases, in addition to contributions to the teaching of medicine and cardiology. He...
, Medical school professor and cardiologist of international repute. - Robert R. Burch, physician, author, and inventor.
- Dave MaloneDave MaloneDave Malone born August 29, 1952 in New Orleans, Louisiana is best known as the guitarist/vocalist, and sometimes songwriter, of The Radiators. He has also worked with a wide variety of other musicians, in and out of New Orleans. He has recorded more than a dozen albums with the Radiators,...
, guitarist/vocalist, and sometimes songwriter, of The Radiators. - Tommy Malone, guitarist/vocalist, and songwriter, of The SubdudesThe SubdudesThe Subdudes are an American roots rock group from New Orleans. Their music is a blending of American folk, swamp rock, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun, zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals...
. - Steve Amedee, percussionist of The SubdudesThe SubdudesThe Subdudes are an American roots rock group from New Orleans. Their music is a blending of American folk, swamp rock, New Orleans rhythm and blues, Louisiana blues, country, cajun, zydeco, funk, soul and gospel with harmonic vocals...
. - Terry RobiskieTerry RobiskieTerry Robiskie is a former American football player and current wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons.-Playing career:...
, a former American football player and current wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons. - Tyson JacksonTyson Jackson-Kansas City Chiefs:Jackson was drafted by the Chiefs, who looked to implement him as DE into their new 3-4 defense. Jackson remained unsigned at the beginning of the Chiefs' training camp session and did not travel with the team to River Falls, Wisconsin...
, who was selected with the number three pick in the 2009 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. This was the highest selection of any Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
defensive player ever at the time of the pick. - Quinn JohnsonQuinn JohnsonQuinn Johnson is an American football fullback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, who was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, attended Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. - Juan JosephJuan JosephJuan Joseph is a former professional Arena football quarterback who has also played American and Canadian football. He last played for the Lafayette Wildcatters of the SIFL. He was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
, who was selected in 2009 by the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Juan was the 2008 Conerly TrophyConerly TrophyThe Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.-Voting:...
winner while attending Millsaps CollegeMillsaps CollegeMillsaps College is a private liberal arts college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Founded in 1890, the college is recognized as one of the country's best private colleges dedicated to undergraduate teaching and educating the whole individual. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps...
. - Farrah Rochon, a writer of romance novels.