Ville Platte, Louisiana

Ville Platte, Louisiana
City
Name origin: Ville Platte, French ('Ville' being the French word for 'city' and 'platte' meaning 'flat')
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Evangeline
Elevation 72 ft (21.9 m)
Coordinates 30°41′21″N 92°16′39″W / 30.68917°N 92.27750°W / 30.68917; -92.27750Coordinates: 30°41′21″N 92°16′39″W / 30.68917°N 92.27750°W / 30.68917; -92.27750
Area 4.0 sq mi (10.4 km2)
 - land 4.0 sq mi (10 km2)
 - water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population 7,430 (2010)
Density 1,849.3 / sq mi (714 / km2)
Mayor Jennifer Vidrine (D)
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 70586
Area code 337
Location of Ville Platte in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Website: www.vpla.com

Ville Platte is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana and the parish seat of Evangeline Parish.[1] The population was 7,430 at the 2010 census,[2] down from 8,145 at the 2000 census. The city's name is French roughly translating to "flat city", in reference to its relatively flat topography in contrast to the more hilly terrain north of the area.

History

The area around Ville Platte appears to have been first settled during the last half of the eighteenth century, when Louisiana was under Spanish rule. The earliest record of settlement in the immediate area of Ville Platte was in the 1780s.

Popular legend states the founder of Ville Platte was Marcellin Garand, an adjutant major in the Army of the French Empire during the reign of Napoleon. In 1824, Garand obtained one of the first two lots that were platted in what is now Ville Platte, with the second being obtained by a Doctor Robert Windex. Those lots were obtained from the estate of William O'Donegan. This appears to be the actual beginning of, or the founding of, the present town of Ville Platte.

The first post office in Ville Platte was established in 1842 with Marcellin Garand as postmaster from 1842 to 1848.

Geography

Ville Platte is located in eastern Evangeline Parish at 30°41′21″N 92°16′39″W / 30.68917°N 92.27750°W / 30.68917; -92.27750 (30.689140, -92.277534).[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ville Platte has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.4 km2), of which 0.25 acres (0.001 km2), or 0.01%, is water.[2]

U.S. Route 167 passes through the city as Main Street (eastbound) and Lasalle Street (westbound). The highway leads southeast 17 miles (27 km) to Opelousas and north 52 miles (84 km) to Alexandria. Louisiana Highway 10 passes through the city in tandem with US 167 but leads northwest 28 miles (45 km) to Oakdale.

Chicot State Park, Louisiana's largest state park, is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Ville Platte. The park covers 6,400 acres (26 km2) of rolling hills and water and has large numbers of deer, raccoon, and other wildlife.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870135—
188014910.4%
1900163—
1910603269.9%
19201,364126.2%
19301,72226.2%
19403,721116.1%
19506,63378.3%
19607,51213.3%
19709,69229.0%
19809,201−5.1%
19909,037−1.8%
20008,145−9.9%
20107,430−8.8%
Est. 20147,287[4]−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 8,145 people, 3,169 households, and 2,047 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,665.4 people per square mile (1,027.7/km²). There were 3,513 housing units at an average density of 1,149.6 per square mile (443.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.53% White, 58.67% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.23% of the population.

There were 3,169 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $12,917, and the median income for a family was $18,056. Males had a median income of $29,798 versus $16,563 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,672. About 43.5% of families and 50.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 68.9% of those under age 18 and 32.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in Evangeline Parish are operated by the Evangeline Parish School Board. Three campuses are located in Ville Platte - James Stephens Montessori School (Grades PK-4), Ville Platte Elementary School (Grades PK-4), and Ville Platte High School (Grades 5-12).

There is also a private Roman Catholic school, Sacred Heart High School, serving grades 9-12, as well as Sacred Heart Elementary serving grades K-8.

The famous St. Landry Parish Sheriff Cat Doucet was educated in Ville Platte.[7]

Culture

Ville Platte has significant Creole and Cajun cultural associations (cuisine, music, language etc.). It lies at the northern point of the "French Triangle" with a significant francophone population residing in the city as well as the parish. It is one of the birthplaces of the Afro-creole zydeco music that has become one of the signatures of Louisiana culture throughout the world, as well as the Choctaw-Métis tradition of "viande boucanee" or smoked meat.[8]

Government

Former U.S. Representative T. Ashton Thompson of Louisiana's 7th congressional district, since disbanded, was born in Ville Platte in 1916. He died in office in 1965 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Gastonia, North Carolina. His death paved the way for Edwin Washington Edwards to assume the seat.

Bernard LeBas, a Ville Platte pharmacist, has represented Evangeline and St. Landry parishes in the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2008.[9]

City officials 2011-2015:

Members of the City Council:

Points of interest

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Ville Platte city, Louisiana". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  4. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. ↑ "Doucet, Daly Joseph "Cat"". lahistory.org. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Louisiana's French Creole Culinary & Linguistic Traditions: Facts vs. Fiction Before and Since Cajunization," by John laFleur & Brian Costello w/ Dr. Ina Fandrich, 2013
  9. ↑ "H. Bernard LeBas". house.louisiana.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

External links

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