Jennings, Louisiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Jennings | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Jefferson Davis |
| Area | 10.3 sq mi (26.7 km²) |
| - land | 10.2 sq mi (26.4 km²) |
| - water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²), 0.39% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Population | 10,986 (2000) |
| Density | 1,072.6 /sq mi (414.1 /km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 70546 |
| Area code | 337 |
  Location of Jennings in Louisiana
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 Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Website : http://www.cityofjennings.com | |
Jennings is a small city located in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana near Lake Charles. [1] [2] As of the 2000 census, Jennings had a total population of 10,986.
Contents |
[edit] History
Jennings McComb, for whom the town was named, was a contractor of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He built the Jennings depot on a divide peculiar to southwest Louisiana.
The first settler was A. D. McFarlain, who came from St. Mary Parish, in 1881. This energetic young man was the community’s first rice grower, first merchant, first postmaster, first brick maker, and first builder. McFarlain prospered with Jennings’ growth and later became one of the town’s most prominent business men and civic leaders. He opened a store in Jennings in 1881.
The Jennings area was settled by Anglo wheat farmers of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and other Midwestern states. The new settlers of southwest Louisiana were referred to as "Yankees" by the natives. The Cajuns proved to be good and helpful neighbors and gave appreciable aid to the settlers in homesteading and homemaking. The people grew rice, cotton, sweet potatoes and corn. [3]
Sylvester L. Cary, who arrived on February 7, 1883 from Iowa and known as the town's "father", stated he was "seeking a home where there was neither winter or mortgages." So impressed was "Father" Cary by the attractiveness of the country around Jennings that he felt impelled to share his findings with others. The conviction resulted in his entering upon the second phase of his great adventure, that of bringing fellow Midwesterners to southwest Louisiana. He began to write letters to his friends in Iowa, extolling the advantages of the countryside surrounding Jennings. When he returned to Iowa to remove his family to their newly acquired home, he successfully persuaded several neighbors, preparing to migrate west, to take advantage of the opportunities he had discovered in Jennings and southwest Louisiana. [4]
Much of southwest Louisiana was developed by the North American Land and Timber Co. Seaman A. Knapp, president of the Iowa State College of Agriculture, was engaged in 1885 to demonstrate the suitability of the region for rice production. Knapp attracted a number of Iowans to settle the area. [5] The settlers were lured to this area by advertisements published in newspapers in the midwestern states.
By 1900, Jennings was incorporated as a municipality. In 1901, a fire destroyed a large portion of Jennings. However, that same year, Jennings was the location of the first oil well and oil field in the state of Louisiana. Oil brought a boom to the town but this was only a peak in its continuous growth. When oil production declined, the basic agricultural economy kept the town prosperous. [6]
[edit] Geography
Jennings is located at (30.222207, -92.656880)[7] and has an elevation of 26 feet (7.9 m)[8].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.3 square miles (26.6 km²), of which, 10.2 square miles (26.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.19%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 10,986 people,[2] 4,090 households, and 2,875 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,072.6 people per square mile (414.2/km²). There are 4,541 housing units at an average density of 443.4/sq mi (171.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.42% White, 28.00% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,090 households, out of which 34.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% are married couples living together, 18.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% are non-families. 26.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.16.
In the city of Jennings, the population is spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years, one year older than the state-wide median age of 34 years. For every 100 females there are 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $24,410, and the median income for a family is $30,783. Males have a median income of $26,630 versus $19,010 for females. The per capita income for the city is $12,357. Nearly 26.2% of the population and 22.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 34.3% are under the age of 18 and 18.1% are 65 or older.
[edit] References
- ^ "Jennings, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes), City Data, 2007, webpage: C-Jenngs.
- ^ a b "Census 2000 Data for the State of Louisiana" (town list), US Census Bureau, May 2003, webpage: C2000-LA.
- ^ library.mcneese.edu "THE HISTORY OF JENNINGS, LOUISIANA"
- ^ library.mcneese.edu "THE HISTORY OF JENNINGS, LOUISIANA"
- ^ Letter of Nancy B. Vezinet, archivist for the State of Louisiana, Mar. 24, 1982. She excerpted the relevant passages from Cities and Towns if Louisiana by Clare D'Artois Leeper. Cf. also "The Vinton-Lake Charles Colony" by A. A. Wentz in the Vinton (Ia.) Eagle, Apr. 14, 1896.
- ^ library.mcneese.edu "THE HISTORY OF JENNINGS, LOUISIANA"
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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