Bayou La Batre, Alabama

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Shrimp boats in Bayou La Batre, Alabama
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Shrimp boats in Bayou La Batre, Alabama

Bayou La Batre (IPA pronunciation: [ˈbe.ju lə ˈbætʃ.ɹi]; pronounced Bah-you luh BAT-ree) is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area. At the 2000 census the population was 2,313. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 2,725. [1]

Bayou La Batre is considered a fishing village, due to the relaxed pace of life in the area, and as a seafood-processing harbor for fishing boats and shrimp boats. The local Chamber of Commerce described the city as the "Seafood Capital of Alabama" for packaging seafood from hundreds of fishing boats.[1]

Bayou La Batre was the first permanent settlement on the south Mobile County mainland and was founded in 1786, when French-born Joseph Bouzage (Bosarge) [1733-1795] was awarded a 1,259-acre Spanish land grant on the West Bank of the bayou (see history below). The modern City of Bayou La Batre was incorporated in 1955.

Bayou La Batre was featured in the movie Forrest Gump and the book upon which it is based. In April 2005, Disney Studios launched a secretly built pirate ship, the Black Pearl, out of Bayou La Batre for filming sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.[2]

On August 29, 2005, the area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, which produced the largest storm surge ever recorded in the area, reaching nearly 16 feet,[3] and pushing many shrimp boats and the cargo ship M/V Caribbean Clipper onto shore (see details below). Previously, the area was hit hard by Hurricane Carmen in 1974, which also got a mention in Forrest Gump.

Location of Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Location of Bayou La Batre, Alabama

Contents

[edit] Geography

Bayou La Batre is located at 30°24′12″N, 88°14′53″W (30.403253, -88.248117)GR1.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.8 km² (4.2 mi²). 10.4 km² (4.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (3.59%) is water.

[edit] History

As part of the French settlement of the Gulf Coast, the bayou was originally called "Reviere D'Erbane" and acquired the present name from the French-maintained battery of artillery on the West Bank ("bayou of the battery"). Bayou La Batre was the first permanent settlement on the south Mobile County mainland and was founded in 1786, when Joseph Bouzage (Bosarge) [1733-1795] moved into the area and was awarded a 1,259-acre Spanish land grant on the West Bank of the bayou.

Born in Poitiers, France, Joseph Bouzage came to the Gulf Coast circa 1760, married Catherine Louise Baudreau (Boudreau) on June 5, 1762, and was the father of seven children, including one son, Jean Baptiste.

The City of Bayou La Batre was incorporated in 1955.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 2,313 people, 769 households, and 599 families residing in the city. The population density was 221.6/km² (573.9/mi²). There were 845 housing units at an average density of 81.0/km² (209.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.44% White, 10.25% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 33.29% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 1.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The large Asian population is attributable to a large influx of Vietnamese American shrimpers as immigrants following the Vietnam War. Bayou la Batre was a popular destination for such immigrants because it fosters and continues to foster a similar shrimping industry to that of Vietnam.

There were 769 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,539, and the median income for a family was $27,580. Males had a median income of $22,847 versus $14,042 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,928. About 22.9% of families and 28.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.9% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

The city is served by the Mobile County Public School System. The city has Alba Elementary School and Alba Middle School. Public school pupils go on to Bryant High School in Irvington.

[edit] Film and book references

Bayou La Batre is mentioned in the film Forrest Gump as the home of Forrest's army buddy Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue, who he met during the Vietnam War. After Bubba is killed in the combat, despite Forrest's attempt to save him, Forrest eventually fulfills a promise to Bubba by moving to Bayou La Batre, buying a shrimp boat and trying to catch shrimp. Forrest and another character in the book, Lt. Dan, are out shrimping in the Gulf when Hurricane Carmen strikes the region; Forrest, Lt. Dan and the boat survive, but the rest of the Bayou La Batre shimp boat fleet is destroyed. Forrest and Lt. Dan then make a fortune catching shrimp and found the fictitious Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, based in Bayou La Batre.

In Winston Groom's book of the same name (upon which the movie was based), Forrest doesn't buy a boat to catch shrimp, but starts a small but ultimately successful shrimp hatchery in Bayou La Batre with the help of Bubba's father.

[edit] Shipbuilding

Bayou La Batre is a center for shipbuilding. In 2005, crews of Disney Studios secretly built a 130-foot pirate ship, the Black Pearl, at Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre; the pitch-black ship was actually a huge wooden prop built on top of a modern 96-foot-long steel utility boat.[2] In April 2005, crews sailed the ship out of the bayou for filming in the Caribbean, making sequels to Disney's 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.

Cargo ship and boats aground at Bayou La Batre, Alabama after Hurricane Katrina
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Cargo ship and boats aground at Bayou La Batre, Alabama after Hurricane Katrina

[edit] Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, the area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, with a local storm surge of nearly 16 feet,[3] and higher waves which engulfed the city of Bayou La Batre and pushed over 23 shrimp boats and the cargo ship named "Caribbean Clipper" onto shore.[4] The captain rode out Katrina on the 179-foot cargo ship M/V Caribbean Clipper, owned by Caribbean Shipping Inc., and the ship was returned to sea, six months later, using a large crane.[4]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Bayou La Batre Chamber of Commerce, web: Bayou La Batre Chamber.
  2. ^ a b Russ Henderson, "Pirates of the Bayou" (2005-01-23), Mobile Register, web: Rumors and News Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 page 4.
  3. ^ a b "Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Katrina." (post-analysis) National Hurricane Center. revised August 10, 2006.
  4. ^ a b "View Online Video at Alabama Public Television."

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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