St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
St. Helena Parish is a parish in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. Its seat is Greensburg
. As of 2000, its population was 10,525.
St. Helena Parish is part of the Baton Rouge
Metropolitan Statistical Area
as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part
Combined Statistical Area
.
that he committed while Parish Assessor. Ronald "Gun" Ficklin took over the sheriff's office in 1998, but on 5 February 2007, Ficklin himself pled guilty on multiple counts involving his role in operating "chop shop
s" — reselling stolen automobiles and parts — using state prisoners to staff these activities and as a pit crew for his race car.
, 52.42% Black
or African American
, 0.10% Native American
, 0.10% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 3,873 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were married couples
living together, 18.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.00% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $24,970, and the median income for a family was $29,950. Males had a median income of $30,218 versus $16,853 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $12,318. About 22.80% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.50% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
. The Middle School in St. Helena Parish is part of the Recovery School District of Louisiana.
impact crater
reported from the state of Louisiana. This suspected impact crater is a roughly circular depression about 2 km in diameter. Shocked quartz and intensely fractured quartz have been recovered from fractured and possibly altered sediments comprising its rim. It lies about 9.3 kilometers southwest of Greensburg
, Louisiana, in the southwest corner of St. Helena Parish. Louisiana Highway 37 cuts through the northern edge of this feature.
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...
. Its seat is Greensburg
Greensburg, Louisiana
Greensburg is a town in and the parish seat of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 631 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. Greensburg is one of the oldest towns in Louisiana....
. As of 2000, its population was 10,525.
St. Helena 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...
.
History
For the past decade, St. Helena Parish has suffered from a string of scandals involving its sheriffs. In 1997, Sheriff Eugene Holland was found guilty of misuse of government funds and property and using prison inmates for personal labor. His replacement, Chaney Phillips, served for only a year before he was convicted for fraud and money launderingMoney laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
that he committed while Parish Assessor. Ronald "Gun" Ficklin took over the sheriff's office in 1998, but on 5 February 2007, Ficklin himself pled guilty on multiple counts involving his role in operating "chop shop
Chop shop
In motor vehicle theft, a chop shop is a location or business which disassembles stolen automobiles for the purpose of selling them as parts. It may also be used to refer to a location or business that is involved with the selling of stolen or fraudulent goods in general, an example of the latter...
s" — reselling stolen automobiles and parts — using state prisoners to staff these activities and as a pit crew for his race car.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 409 square miles (1,060 km²). 408 square miles (1,058 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.27% water.Major highways
Louisiana Highway 10Louisiana Highway 10Louisiana Highway 10 is a state highway in south-central Louisiana. It runs from west to east for . The western terminus is at the intersection of U.S. Route 171 in Pickering, Louisiana in Vernon Parish near Fort Polk and the eastern terminus is in Bogalusa at Pearl River and the Louisiana line...
Louisiana Highway 16Louisiana Highway 16Louisiana 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 37
Louisiana Highway 38
Louisiana Highway 43
Adjacent parishes and counties
- Amite County, MississippiAmite County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,599 people, 5,271 households, and 3,879 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 6,446 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
(north) - Tangipahoa ParishTangipahoa Parish, LouisianaTangipahoa Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, one of the Florida Parishes. The parish seat is Amite City, but the major city is Hammond. As of 2006, the population was 113,137...
(east) - Livingston ParishLivingston Parish, LouisianaLivingston 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....
(south) - East Baton Rouge ParishEast Baton Rouge Parish, LouisianaEast 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...
(southwest) - East Feliciana ParishEast Feliciana Parish, LouisianaEast Feliciana Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Clinton. In 2000, the population was 21,360.East Feliciana Parish is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical...
(west)
Demographics
As of 2000, there are 10,525 people, 3,873 households, and 2,784 families residing in the parish. The population density is 10/km² (26/mi2). There are 5,034 housing units at an average density of 5 persons/km² (12 persons/mi2). The racial makeup of the parish was 46.53% WhiteRace (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...
, 52.42% 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...
, 0.10% 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...
, 0.10% 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...
, 0.01% 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...
, 0.14% 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 0.71% from two or more races. 0.99% 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.
There were 3,873 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% 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, 18.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the parish the population was spread out with 29.00% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 26.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $24,970, and the median income for a family was $29,950. Males had a median income of $30,218 versus $16,853 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 $12,318. About 22.80% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.50% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- GreensburgGreensburg, LouisianaGreensburg is a town in and the parish seat of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 631 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. Greensburg is one of the oldest towns in Louisiana....
- MontpelierMontpelier, LouisianaMontpelier is a village in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.Montpelier was the Parish Seat from 1812-1832.-Geography:...
Education
The Elementary and High School in St. Helena Parish are part of the St. Helena Parish School SystemSt. Helena Parish School System
The St. Helena Parish School System is a public school district headquartered in Greensburg, Louisiana, United States.The district serves all of St. Helena Parish. The district's mascot is the Hawk.-Schools:...
. The Middle School in St. Helena Parish is part of the Recovery School District of Louisiana.
Brushy Creek Impact Crater
St. Helena Parish contains the only meteoriteMeteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
reported from the state of Louisiana. This suspected impact crater is a roughly circular depression about 2 km in diameter. Shocked quartz and intensely fractured quartz have been recovered from fractured and possibly altered sediments comprising its rim. It lies about 9.3 kilometers southwest of Greensburg
Greensburg, Louisiana
Greensburg is a town in and the parish seat of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 631 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. Greensburg is one of the oldest towns in Louisiana....
, Louisiana, in the southwest corner of St. Helena Parish. Louisiana Highway 37 cuts through the northern edge of this feature.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana