Vidalia, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The town of Vidalia is the parish seat of Concordia Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 4,543 at the 2000 census.

[edit] Vidalia, Louisiana

Vidalia is located at 31°34′6″N, 91°26′3″W (31.568295, -91.434268)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²), all land.

Vidalia was founded by Don Jose Vidal. The great Sandbar duel featuring Jim Bowie is one of the great stories told by the locals. Vidalia is a bustling town with the addition of the new Vidalia Riverwalk. It features a new hotel, medical center, restaurant, and more additions coming soon. Vidalia also loves its sports. Vidalia High School, home of the Mighty Vikings, enjoys great athletic teams year after year. Baseball and Softball teams have won state championships. Vidalia is the sister city to Natchez, Mississippi.

"Vidalia onions" are not named for Vidalia, Louisiana, but for Vidalia, Georgia.

Vidalia City Hall is located at the corner of North Spruce and Carter Streets. Historic photographs are on display and available for viewing between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some of the historic photographs feature the moving of the town from the original site in 1938-1939.

Vidalia serves as the parish seat for Concordia Parish and offers availability and affordability of labor; established transportation network; state incentive program; excellent quality of life; outstanding school system; low crime rate; low property taxes; active chamber and civic organizations; many churches of all denominations and is a suburban community to historic Natchez, MS.

Vidalia is home to Louisiana’s first hydroelectric power plant and the largest prefabricated power plant in the world. A total of 41 countries and 21 states joined forces for this historic endeavor, the Sidney A. Murray, Jr. Hydroelectric Station, which is located in the southern portion of Concordia Parish. The Hydro office is located in Vidalia on Texas Street.

Tacony Plantation, a National Register property, is significant in Concordia Parish history as the home of planter Alfred Vidal Davis and is the only remaining brick antebellum house in the Vidalia area. Tacony is an Indian word meaning "Big Man" referring to Alfred Vidal Davis, Sr.

The original portion of Tacony built around 1845 was probably used as an overseer’s house or a "camp house" because Davis, like many other wealthy landowners, lived in a luxurious mansion on the Natchez bluff. In 1860, Alfred Vidal Davis was among the richest cotton planters in the state. His land produced 3,387 cotton bales and 17,000 bushels of corn. Hal Garner, a restoration expert from Natchez, recently restored the home.

Tacony Plantation is also significant in African-American history. John R. Lynch, Mississippi’s first black U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House, was born a slave on Tacony Plantation in 1847.

Tacony Plantation is located one-half mile west of Vidalia on Highway 84/65 and is open by appointment to individuals and groups. Call the Louisiana Welcome Center to arrange a tour at (318) 336-7008.

Vidalia also offers its newest feature – The Vidalia Riverwalk. The Riverwalk consists of restaurants, a hotel, specialty shops, amphitheater, public boat ramp and brings back the "rivertown" charm that Vidalia once had. We invite you to visit Vidalia – A City On The Move.

Concordia Parish is the northern gateway to the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area, a culturally rich natural wonder encompassing 13 parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin. Here, the basin becomes the natural setting to experience the lives and traditions of the people of the region. The State of Louisiana and representatives from each of the 13 parishes are working to bring this project to its full potential over the next few years. A scenic byway will be part of the Atchafalaya Trace Heritage Area.

The Delta Museum, which is now housed in the former post office building in downtown Ferriday, LA honors Mickey Gilley, Jerry Lee Lewis, journalist Howard K. Smith, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Hollywood socialite Ann Boyar Warner and jazz musician Pee Wee Whittaker. The museum, featuring six life-sized exhibits, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free with donations accepted. For more information, call (318) 757-4297.

Frogmore Plantation, an 1,800-acre working cotton plantation with gins, slave row and 18 dependencies, contrasts a working plantation of the early 1800s with a modern cotton plantation and their slaves through an evolution from the wilderness to a thriving 1850s cotton plantation, then beyond. Frogmore Plantation is only 20 minutes west of Natchez, MS. It is the only tour of its kind in the south and received a Rural Tourism Award in the State of Louisiana for 1999. Call (318) 757-2453 for more information.

The RiverView RV Park is a full-service resort, one mile from historic Natchez, and centrally located to all of the area lakes and waterways. The RiverView RV Park also offers a primitive camping area at their facility.

Five camping areas are available and are maintained by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. One of these areas provides comfort stations and potable water while the others are primitive. All camping areas have all-weather access. For more information, contact the regional office at (318) 757-4571 or email wycoff_rg@wlf.state.la.us.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,543 people, 1,779 households, and 1,289 families residing in the town. The population density was 756.1/km² (1,959.7/mi²). There were 1,910 housing units at an average density of 317.9/km² (823.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.67% White, 27.07% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

There were 1,779 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,500, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,455 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,478. About 17.8% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.