Plaquemine, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish
, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
Plaquemine is the birthplace of radio talk show host Moon Griffon
, who broadcasts statewide from Monroe
. Griffon is sometimes known as the "Cajun
Rush Limbaugh
".
The town is also home to former Democratic
Lieutenant Governor
Robert "Bobby" Freeman.
Former State Representative
Mary Smith Gleason
(1899–1967) of Webster Parish in north Louisiana spent her last years in Plaquemine.
. The city itself is surrounded by farmland; beyond the farmland to the west lies nearly uninhabited swampland.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.71%) is water.
via Toll Ferry to Saint Gabriel and continues southwest eventually reaching Bayou Pigeon. LA 77 starts around The Island Country Club and continues northwest to Maringouin. Most Importantly, LA 1 continues north to Interstate 10/Baton Rouge and south to Donaldsonville.
Otherwise, Plaquemine lacks public transportation and its residents rely completely on the use of the automobile.
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 2,593 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years, higher than Louisiana's median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,364, and the median income for a family was $32,971. Males had a median income of $34,868 versus $21,016 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,066. About 23.6% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
The lumber industry boomed in the mid-18th century and did not close until available supplies of massive virgin bald cypress trees were exhausted around 1930. Plaquemine produced over 1.5 million board feet (3500 m³) per year in her sawmills.
The Plaquemine Lock, constructed from 1895–1909, was a vitally important link between the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Canal, of which Bayou Plaquemine served as its northern terminus. Its design served as the proto-type for the upcoming Panama Canal locks. The locks were shut in 1961. Today, it is operated as a state park.
, signal, military police
and other supporting units. The 256th BSTB is part of the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National Guard
that served in Iraq
in 2004-5.
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....
, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It 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...
.
Plaquemine is the birthplace of radio talk show host Moon Griffon
Moon Griffon
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB FM in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct...
, who broadcasts statewide from Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. Griffon is sometimes known as the "Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
".
The town is also home to former 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...
Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
Robert "Bobby" Freeman.
Former State Representative
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...
Mary Smith Gleason
Mary Smith Gleason
Mary Smith Gleason was an interim Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Webster Parish, who served from 1959–1960, after the death in office of her husband, E.D. Gleason.Mrs...
(1899–1967) of Webster Parish in north Louisiana spent her last years in Plaquemine.
Geography
Plaquemine is located at 30°17′3"N 91°14′26"W (30.284044, −91.240485) and has an elevation of 23 feet (7 m). Plaquemine is located at the junction of Bayou Plaquemine and 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...
. The city itself is surrounded by farmland; beyond the farmland to the west lies nearly uninhabited swampland.
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 city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.71%) is water.
Transportation
Plaquemine is accessed, mainly, by four highways LA 3066, LA 75, LA 77, and the scenic LA 1. Other highways include LA 992 (Tenant Road) and LA 405. LA 3066 continues from Court Street to "Down the Bayou" neighborhoods. LA 75 accesses east: over 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...
via Toll Ferry to Saint Gabriel and continues southwest eventually reaching Bayou Pigeon. LA 77 starts around The Island Country Club and continues northwest to Maringouin. Most Importantly, LA 1 continues north to Interstate 10/Baton Rouge and south to Donaldsonville.
Otherwise, Plaquemine lacks public transportation and its residents rely completely on the use of the automobile.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,064 people, 2,593 households, and 1,846 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,467.0 people per square mile (953.6/km²). There were 2,828 housing units at an average density of 987.6 per square mile (381.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.26% White, 49.60% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other racesRace (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 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 2,593 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years, higher than Louisiana's median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,364, and the median income for a family was $32,971. Males had a median income of $34,868 versus $21,016 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,066. About 23.6% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Plaquemine was settled as early as 1775. Due to its location at the juncture of Bayou Plaquemine with the Mississippi River, the village soon began to prosper and grow beginning a long history of prosperity that has never ceased. By 1838, the town was incorporated, electing Zenon LaBauve, for whom the Garden District's main street is named, as its first mayor. Plaquemine continued to grow in the antebellum era. Massive plantations were constructed in nearby regions, including Nottoway and Belle Grove. The town has been the seat of Iberville Parish government since its incorporation. The former Parish Courthouse (c.1906)on Railroad Avenue has been serving as City Hall since 1985.The lumber industry boomed in the mid-18th century and did not close until available supplies of massive virgin bald cypress trees were exhausted around 1930. Plaquemine produced over 1.5 million board feet (3500 m³) per year in her sawmills.
The Plaquemine Lock, constructed from 1895–1909, was a vitally important link between the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Canal, of which Bayou Plaquemine served as its northern terminus. Its design served as the proto-type for the upcoming Panama Canal locks. The locks were shut in 1961. Today, it is operated as a state park.
- Plaquemine has been a Louisiana-designated Main Street City since 1993.
- Plaquemine was the birthplace of Motocross Champion Yancy Guerin.
- Plaquemine was the birthplace of early jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist and composer Clarence Williams. - Plaquemine was the birth place of WWII medic Eugene RoeEugene Roe-External links:*****...
. - Former Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
football player Brian Keith Mitchell played football at Plaquemine High School. - Plaquemine was the birthplace of Major League Baseball Pitcher Bill Lee, who pitched from 1934–1947 for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Braves.
- Plaquemine is the hometown of Nolan "Country" Ruiz, World War II veteran and German POW, and owner of Country's Cafe for 42 years.
- Plaquemine was the birthplace of the State of Louisiana's first Secretary of Labor, Joseph R. Gerace, who was appointed by Governor Edwin Edwards.
- Plaquemine did not have a hospital till 1923.
- Plaquemine is noted for a number of antebellum structures that survive within the city limits and along Bayou Road. One of the most noteworthy homes is St Basil's, a riverfront mansion built by socialite Physician Dr. John Scratchley in the 1850s. Now again a private residence the home retains the name it gained when it became a fashionable Convent school after Dr. Scratchley's time in residence.
- Plaquemine has been used often in Hollywood films. In the film "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" the old City Hall adjacent to the Plaquemine locks is used in the sidewalk scene where Olivia DeHavilland's character Meriam confronts Mary Astor's character Jewell Mayhew. The film's star, actress Bette Davis, had a childhood friend who moved to Plaquemine as a young adult and subsequently lived her entire lifetime on fashionable LaBauve Avenue, having come to the area with her husband who was an early Petrochemical Executive. Bette Davis was known to occasionally visit them over the decades and was familiar with the town. She suggested accessory scenes be filmed across the River in Plaquemine. This entailed the film crew having to take all the filming equipment to Baton Rouge to cross the bridge as the film's insurer would not allow it to be taken back and forth on the ferry. There was also a scene shot in Plaquemine featuring Agnes Moorehead's character Velma being laid in the yard of a home on Court Street after she is murdered by the deHavilland character. The scene was deleted from the edited film. While Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte was being filmed Bette Davis considered buying the home next to her childhood friend who has resided in Plaquemine for many decades by then (mid 1960's). She planned to use the home as a retirement home for herself and actually negotiated on it only to have it bought while she was across the river filming at Houmas House by another family who still live there today. BMW commercials were also filmed in the area in the 1990s.
- Plaquemine's annual International Acadian Festival draws visitors from all over the world. The local Mardi Gras is also gaining a devoted following of non-natives.
National Guard
Plaquemine is the home of the 256th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, formerly known as the 1088th Engineer Battalion, a unit made up of combat engineer, military intelligenceMilitary intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
, signal, military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and other supporting units. The 256th BSTB is part of the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
that served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 2004-5.