New Iberia, Louisiana
| City of New Iberia |
| City |
| Country |
United States |
| State |
Louisiana |
| Parish |
Iberia |
|
| Elevation |
20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Coordinates |
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| Area |
10.6 sq mi (27.5 km2) |
| - land |
10.6 sq mi (27 km2) |
| - water |
0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
|
| Population |
32,623 (2000) |
| Density |
3,088.8 / sq mi (1,192.6 / km2) |
|
| Founded |
1779 |
| - Incorporated |
1839 |
| Mayor |
Hilda Curry |
|
| Timezone |
CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) |
CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code |
70560, 70563 |
| Area code |
337 |
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Location of New Iberia in Louisiana
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Website: http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/home.html |
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New Iberia (Spanish: Nueva Iberia, French: La Nouvelle-Ibérie) is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States,[1] 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747. The population was 32,623 at the 2000 census.
New Iberia is the principal city of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Iberia Parish.
History
The town of New Iberia dates from spring 1779, when a group of 500 Malaguenian colonists and the actual founder Bernardo de Galvez[2] [3] came up Bayou Teche and settled around Spanish Lake. The Spanish settlers called the town "Nueva Iberia" in honor of the Iberian Peninsula, and the French referred to the town as "Nouvelle Ibérie" while the American settlers called it "New Town" after the Louisiana Purchase.[4]
In 1814, the federal government opened a post office, and it was officially known as "New Iberia," but postmarks shortly thereafter reveal that the town was being called "Nova Iberia" (with Latin for "new"). The town was incorporated as "Iberia" in 1839, but the state legislature resolved the situation in 1847, naming the town New Iberia.[4]
During the American Civil War, New Iberia was occupied by Union forces under General Nathaniel P. Banks. The soldiers spent the winter of 1862-1863 at New Iberia and, according to historian John D. Winters of Louisiana Tech University in his The Civil War in Louisiana, "found the weather each day more and more severe. The dreary days dragged by, and the men grumbled as they plowed through the freezing rain and deep mud in performing the regular routines of camp life."[5] Banks' men from New Iberia foraged for supplies in the swamps near the city.[6]
In 1868, Iberia Parish (county) was established, and New Iberia became the seat of parish government. At first, only rented space served for the courthouse, but by 1884 a new courthouse stood on a landscaped lot in downtown New Iberia, at the present-day site of Bouligny Plaza. That courthouse served Iberia Parish until 1940, when the current courthouse was built along Iberia Street, two blocks from the New Iberia downtown commercial district.[4]
Geography
New Iberia is located at (30.003577, -91.818454)[7] and has an elevation of 20 feet (6.1 m)[8].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27.4 km²), all land.
New Iberia enjoys a sub-tropical climate with above average rainfall. Among the lakes is Lake Peigneur, which was formerly a 10-foot (3.0 m) deep freshwater lake until a 1980 disaster involving oil drilling and a salt mine. The lake is now a 1,300-foot (400 m) deep salt water lake, having been refilled by the Gulf of Mexico via the Delcambre Canal. There is also Lake Tasse, better known as Spanish Lake.
This region has many natural features of interest, such as Avery Island, famous for its Tabasco sauce factory, deposits of rock salt, and Jungle Gardens.
Demographics
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 32,623 people, 11,756 households, and 8,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,088.8 people per square mile (1,192.8/km²). There were 12,880 housing units at an average density of 1,219.5 per square mile (470.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.99% White, 38.42% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,756 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% 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 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,079, and the median income for a family was $30,828. Males had a median income of $30,289 versus $16,980 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,084. About 24.9% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 20.8% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
- Shadows-on-the-Teche historic residence, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation [10]
- Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce and the oldest salt mine in North America.
- Annual Bunk Johnson/New Iberia Jazz, Arts & Heritage Festival, also known as the BunkFest.
- Jungle Gardens, botanical garden and bird sanctuary.
- The Iberia Community Band hosts four public concerts throughout the year and is open to amateur, student, and professional band instrumentalists of all ages and skill levels.
- The Iberia Performing Arts League, also known as IPAL, is a community theater organization. It generally presents five major productions per year and a summer youth play or activity.
- The city used to hold a statue of Roman emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD). It was located on the corner of Weeks and St. Peter Streets.[11]
- New Iberia is home to fictional detective Dave Robicheaux and his creator, author James Lee Burke.[12]
Festivals
- New Iberia hosts the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival[13] in September. Sugar Cane Festival, celebrates the commencement of the sugar cane harvest, locally referred to as grinding. Sugar cane is a principal crop grown by New Iberia farmers.
- World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off on the first full weekend in October.[14]
- Cajun Hot Sauce Festival
- Great Gator Race http://www.southernmutualhelp.org/TheGreatGatorRace.cfm
Notable natives and residents
Natives
- Taylor Barras, state representative from District 48
- Kathleen Blanco, former Governor of Louisiana
- Jon Emminger, professional wrestler working for WWE as Lucky Cannon
- Howie Ferguson, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers
- Johnny Hector, running back for the New York Jets
- Kerry Joseph, CFL quarterback
- Yvonne Levy Kushner, actress and fund raiser for women's and Jewish causes
- Bryan Lourd, Partner, Managing Director and Co-Chairman of Creative Artists Agency
- Jared Mitchell, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox
- George Rodrigue, well known artist creator of the Blue Dog series of paintings
- Mark Roman, NFL defensive back
- Vivien Thomas, cardiac surgery pioneer, first African American to operate at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland, and the first to have his portrait commissioned and displayed at the medical school, medical researcher who was essential to the development of the Blalock-Taussig shunt for the treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot, instructor of several world-renowned surgeons, arguably the most famous African American cardiac surgeon whose work may have saved more lives worldwide than any other New Iberia native.
- Herschel Harrington, Impressionist artist & designer of New Iberias flag & emblem, ca. 1967
- William Eckhardt Tony winning stage designer
- Brian Schexnayder Baritone with the Metropolitan Opera
- Rachel C. Falgout, Senior Director, Teen Services and National Keystone Advisor for over a million teens with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
- Robert Pete, Command Chaplain, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, LA
- [ Robert Clarence Lawson] Founder, Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Apostolic Faith, 1919.
- Brandon Monte, United States Air Force Fire Fighter.
Notable residents
- Robert Angers (1919–1988), journalist, founder of Acadiana Profile magazine; grew up in New Iberia, leaving in 1950
- Scott Bernard, guitarist with Kenny Loggins.
- James Lee Burke, mystery writer
- Patrick T. Caffery, Attorney. Former U.S. Representative.
- W. Eugene Davis, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge
- John Duhe, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge
- John N. Pharr, 1896 Republican-Populist nominee for governor
- Bunk Johnson, jazz musician
- Jeff Landry, attorney and Republican congressional nominee (2010)
- Billy Hewes, Mississippi politician
Sister city
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Belgium
Fuengirola, Spain
Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France
Alhaurín de la Torre, Spain
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Two Malaguenos Settlers of New Iberia" (notes), TheCajuns.com, webpage: The Cajuns-Málaga.
- ^ "The History of New Iberia" (article), CityOfNewIberia.com, 2003, webpage: CNI-Hist.
- ^ a b c www.cityofnewiberia.com "The History of New Iberia"
- ^ John D. Winters, The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, p. 300
- ^ Winters, p. 237
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Shadows-on-the-Teche"
- ^ "Hadrian statue ready for sale" (article), Daily Iberian
- ^ jamesleeburke.com "James Lee Burke - Official Website"
- ^ www.hisugar.org 'Welcome to the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival Web Site"
- ^ 'Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce"
External links
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| Cities |
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| Town |
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| Village |
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| CDP |
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Unincorporated
communities |
- Avery Island
- Belle Place
- Berard
- Bob Acres
- Boudreaux
- Bourgeois Landing
- Brannon
- Bronson
- Brousville
- Burke
- Caroline
- Charlotte
- Coopersville
- Coteau
- Daspit
- Dauterive Landing
- Davids
- Delaware
- Dennison
- Deslatte
- Derouen
- Duboin
- Emma
- Fish Island
- Gajan
- Gall
- Georgetown
- Greig
- Hope
- Hubertville
- Independent
- Jefferson Island
- Lasalle
- Leesburg
- Leleux
- Lifenite
- Little Valley Plantation
- Loisel
- Lozes
- Ludger
- Lyons
- Marce
- Masters
- Mestayer
- Migues
- Morbihan
- Nicholas
- Norbert
- Numa
- Olivier
- Oubre
- Patoutville
- Pesson
- Port Of Iberia
- Poufette
- Rynella
- Santiague
- Segura
- Sumerall
- Tony
- Ulyssee
- Vida
- Walet
- Weeks
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| Footnotes |
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes
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