White Castle, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White Castle is a town in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,946.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 External links

[edit] Geography

White Castle is located at 30°10′7″N, 91°8′48″W (30.168503, -91.146708)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,946 people, 699 households, and 513 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,001.8/km² (2,592.0/mi²). There were 762 housing units at an average density of 392.3/km² (1,014.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 22.56% White, 76.82% African American, 0.21% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 699 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 30.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $19,435, and the median income for a family was $24,236. Males had a median income of $25,170 versus $15,885 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,246. About 25.4% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.0% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

White Castle was established as a town at the beginning of the 1900s with the influx of people and business brought by the logging done in the Cyprus swamps in the area. When the Cyprus was depleted the main economic growth reverted back to the sugar cane industry that had been established during the 1800s. Individual plantation sugar mills gave way to larger mills servicing many plantations. By 1970 White Castle had three major sugar mills, Cora-Texas, Cedar Grove, and Catherine/Supples. Presently only one Cora-Texas located just south of White Castle on LA 1 is still in service.

Plantations in the area are Nottaway, Belle Grove (defunct), and Laurel Ridge among many more. People living in the unincorporated areas of Samstown, Lone Star, Bell Grove, Dorseyville, and as far away as Bayou Goula helped support White Castle businesses. At one time there were three Car Dealerships, Dufour Chevrolet, White Castle Motor company(Ford) and Dixie Sales and Service(Chrysler/Plymouth), three drug stores, Heberts, Viallons, and Bajons, Weils and Shaheens clothing stores, and two lumber yards. Sammy's, Dominics, Tina's, Fortes, and Landry's were used for grocery shopping.

During the 1950s the Chemical industry entered the area congregating around the Mississippi river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This entry of this industry brought economic growth that took White Castle to the 1980s. Companies establishing chemical plants in the area near White Castle are Dow Chemical north of Plaquemine, Georgia-Pacific and Hercules north of White Castle, and Ciba-Gigey on the east side of the Mississippi.

Population trends has remained between 1900 to 2200 residents for the last 40 years within the city limits of White Castle, this is probably due to the stable boundaries though the surrounding unincorporated areas have seen an increase.