Ferriday, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Ferriday is a town
in Concordia Parish
in northeastern Louisiana
, United States
. The population, which is three-fourths African American
, was 3,723 at the 2000 census.
Ferriday claims to have produced more famous people per square mile than any other American small town. This statement intrigued author Elaine Dundy
who probed that phenomenon while profiling both celebrities and townsfolk in her book, Ferriday, Louisiana, published by E. P. Dutton
in 1991.
Ferriday played a role in the promotion of blues
music
through the Haney's Big House lounge in the African American community. The Delta Music Museum
in the downtown historic district is open daily to visitors, many of whom come from out-of-state. It is located next to the restored Arcade Theater. the museum contains exhibits on Ferriday natives, some of whom were blues musicians.
Ferriday is represented by churches of all major denominations, including a large Pentecostal congregation south of town on LA 15
as well as Baptist
, Assembly of God, and Presbyterian.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all being land.
of 2000, there were 3,723 people, 1,350 households, and 918 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,220.7 people per square mile (855.6/km²). There were 1,498 housing units at an average density of 893.5 per square mile (344.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 24.09% White, 74.89% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 1,350 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples
living together, 33.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $14,732, and the median income for a family was $18,636. Males had a median income of $23,654 versus $16,725 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $8,767. About 40.7% of families and 47.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 70.2% of those under age 18 and 25.1% of those age 65 or over.
serves Ferriday. Ferriday High School is a light-colored brick structure off LA 15
. Its sports teams are known as The Trojans. To the right rear of the high school is the Concordia Parish Library.
In a middle-class residential area of north Ferriday on Jerry Lee Lewis Avenue is the private
Huntington High School, first established for all grades in 1970, with the arrival of school desegregation
to the remaining segregated districts. The Huntington sports teams are known as the Hounds. Former State Representative Bryant Hammett graduated from Huntington in 1974. Former Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater was a graduate of the founding class. Publisher Sam Hanna was among its first directors.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Concordia Parish
Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The parish seat is Vidalia. As of 2000, the population was 20,247. It is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Prehistory:...
in northeastern 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, which is three-fourths African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, was 3,723 at the 2000 census.
Ferriday claims to have produced more famous people per square mile than any other American small town. This statement intrigued author Elaine Dundy
Elaine Dundy
Elaine Dundy was an American novelist, biographer, journalist, actress and playwright.-Early life:Born Elaine Rita Brimberg in New York City, of Latvian maternal descent, her Polish father was an office furniture manufacturer and a violent bully...
who probed that phenomenon while profiling both celebrities and townsfolk in her book, Ferriday, Louisiana, published by E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. In 1986, the company was acquired by Penguin Group and split into two imprints: Dutton Penguin and Dutton Children's Books.-History:Edward Payson Dutton founded...
in 1991.
Ferriday played a role in the promotion of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
through the Haney's Big House lounge in the African American community. The Delta Music Museum
Delta Music Museum
The Delta Music Museum is a museum located in Ferriday, Louisiana. It offers exhibits on sixteen rock and roll and blues musicians from the Mississippi River delta country. The museum opened with a grant from the State of Louisiana and is operated by local volunteers. There is no admission charge;...
in the downtown historic district is open daily to visitors, many of whom come from out-of-state. It is located next to the restored Arcade Theater. the museum contains exhibits on Ferriday natives, some of whom were blues musicians.
Ferriday is represented by churches of all major denominations, including a large Pentecostal congregation south of town on LA 15
Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana Highway 15 is a state highway in Louisiana. It spans north/south for .-Route description:LA 15 begins as an exit from U.S. Route 167 just south of Lillie and heads due east towards Spearsville. From Spearsville, LA 15 turns to the southeast and shortly merges with LA 2 and LA 33 in...
as well as Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Assembly of God, and Presbyterian.
Geography
Ferriday is located at 31°37′50"N 91°33′24"W (31.630539, -91.556749).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 town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all being land.
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 3,723 people, 1,350 households, and 918 families residing in the town. 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 2,220.7 people per square mile (855.6/km²). There were 1,498 housing units at an average density of 893.5 per square mile (344.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 24.09% White, 74.89% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% 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 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 1,350 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% 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, 33.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $14,732, and the median income for a family was $18,636. Males had a median income of $23,654 versus $16,725 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 town was $8,767. About 40.7% of families and 47.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 70.2% of those under age 18 and 25.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Andy AndersAndy AndersJohn Felix Anders, known as Andy Anders , is a farmer and agricultural equipment salesman from Clayton in eastern Louisiana, who is a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 21 .Anders graduated in 1979 from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, where he procured a...
, current state representative from Concordia Parish and farm equipment salesman in Ferriday - Al AterAl AterAlan Ray Ater , known as Al Ater, is a farmer and businessman from Ferriday, Louisiana, who served from 1984-1992 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 21 in the eastern portion of his state....
, former Louisiana Secretary of State. - Campbell BrownCampbell BrownCampbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
news correspondent. - James H. "Jim" Brown, Louisiana state senator, Louisiana secretary of state, and state insurance commissioner.
- Keith Chandler, media industry executive served at CNN and Turner Broadcasting System.
- General Claire Chennault of Flying TigersFlying TigersThe 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
fame was reared in nearby WaterproofWaterproof, LouisianaWaterproof is a town in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, United States with a population of 834 as of 2000 census. Waterproof is approximately seventeen miles north of Ferriday, one of the two principal communities of Concordia Parish...
. - Noah W. CrossNoah W. CrossNoah Webster Cross was a controversial Democratic sheriff from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served from July 1, 1944 until July 1948 and again from July 1952 until April 4, 1973, when a conviction for perjury and a failed appeal forced him into federal prison. Cross was...
(1908–1976) served as Concordia Parish sheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
from 1944 until 1973, when he resigned after a perjuryPerjuryPerjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
conviction. - Troyce GuiceTroyce GuiceTroyce Eual Guice was a prominent businessman in northeastern Louisiana who twice ran for the United States Senate in campaigns thirty years apart, 1966 and 1996. A conservative Democrat, Guice later, as a Mississippi voter, became a donor to the Republican Party...
of Ferriday and later Natchez, MississippiNatchez, MississippiNatchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, ran for the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1966 and 1996. - Bryant HammettBryant HammettBryant O'Dare Hammett, Jr. , is a civil engineer and land surveyor from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992-2006....
(born 1956), Ferriday engineer and former state representative - Sam Hanna, Sr.Sam HannaSamuel Andrew Hanna, Sr., known as Sam Hanna , was a Louisiana journalist who owned and published three newspapers: The Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, the Franklin Sun in Winnsboro, and The Ouachita Citizen in West Monroe.-Early years and education:Hanna was born in Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin...
(1933–2006), publisher of Concordia Sentinel newspaper in Ferriday, Ouachita Citizen in West MonroeWest Monroe, LouisianaWest Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and Franklin Sun in WinnsboroWinnsboro, LouisianaWinnsboro is a city in and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of July 2009, the estimated city population was 4,377... - Dale HoustonDale HoustonDale Houston was an American singer who, along with his performing partner, Grace Broussard, got to the top of the Billboard chart as Dale & Grace with two rock and roll hits. The first was the gold record one million seller "I'm Leaving It Up to You" in 1963. "Stop and Think It Over" reached #8...
(1940–2007), whose I'm Leaving It Up To You reached No. 1 in 1963. - Shelby M. JacksonShelby M. JacksonShelby M. Jackson was a Democratic superintendent of public education in Louisiana who served from 1948-1964. In the early 1960s, he tried in vain to block federally-authorized school desegregation. Jackson was posthumously honored in 1994, by the naming of the "Shelby M...
, Superintendent of Education, 1948—1964 - Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Rock and rollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
singer, pianist - Rickey L. NowlinRick NowlinRickey L. "Rick" Nowlin is a Natchitoches engineer and businessman who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 23 ....
is a freshman RepublicanRepublican 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...
member of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe 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...
from Natchitoches Parish. - Daniel Wesley "Dan" RicheyDan RicheyDaniel Wesley "Dan" Richey is a Baton Rouge-based political consultant for "pro-family" candidates and organizations, including Louisiana Family Forum. From 1997 to 2004, Richey served under appointment of Republican Governor Murphy J...
, former State SenatorLouisiana State LegislatureThe 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...
. - Fred L. Schiele (1933–2002), Concordia Parish sheriff from 1973–1980
- Howard K. SmithHoward K. SmithHoward Kingsbury Smith was an American journalist, radio reporter, television anchorman, political commentator, and film actor. He was one of the original Edward R. Murrow boys.-Early life:...
, CBS and ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
commentator and anchorman; Howard K. Smith: News and CommentHoward K. Smith: News and CommentHoward K. Smith: News and Comment was a half-hour ABC news and documentary program hosted by commentator Howard K. Smith , which aired from February 14, 1962, to June 16, 1963...
(1962–1963) - Jimmy Lee Swaggart, evangelistEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
- Ann Boyar WarnerJack WarnerJack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
, Hollywood hostess - Leon "Pee Wee" WhittakerLeon "Pee Wee" WhittakerLeon "Pee Wee" Whittaker was an African American musician from the Mississippi River delta country of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas who was particularly known as a trombonist of jazz, blues, and rock music. From 1919 until his death, Whittaker performed with minstrel shows, carnival bands,...
, African American trombonist born near NewelltonNewellton, LouisianaNewellton is a town in northern Tensas Parish in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population is 1,227 in the 2010 census, a decline of 255 from 2000. Newellton is some 65 percent African American. It is just west of the Mississippi River on Lake St. Joseph, an ox-bow lake....
in Tensas Parish
Education
The Concordia Parish School BoardConcordia Parish School Board
Concordia Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States.The district serves residents of Concordia Parish.-PreK-12 schools:* Monterey High School...
serves Ferriday. Ferriday High School is a light-colored brick structure off LA 15
Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana Highway 15 is a state highway in Louisiana. It spans north/south for .-Route description:LA 15 begins as an exit from U.S. Route 167 just south of Lillie and heads due east towards Spearsville. From Spearsville, LA 15 turns to the southeast and shortly merges with LA 2 and LA 33 in...
. Its sports teams are known as The Trojans. To the right rear of the high school is the Concordia Parish Library.
In a middle-class residential area of north Ferriday on Jerry Lee Lewis Avenue is the private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
Huntington High School, first established for all grades in 1970, with the arrival of school desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
to the remaining segregated districts. The Huntington sports teams are known as the Hounds. Former State Representative Bryant Hammett graduated from Huntington in 1974. Former Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater was a graduate of the founding class. Publisher Sam Hanna was among its first directors.
External links
- Ferriday Progress Community Progress Site for Ferriday, LA
- Delta Music Museum opens (3/2/02)
- Elaine Dundy's "Ferriday Frappé"
- Video tour of Delta Music Museum