Allen Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allen Parish
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Parish
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Allen Parish Courthouse in Oberlin (near sunset)
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Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
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 Louisiana's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Louisiana |
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| Founded | 1912 | ||
| Named for | Henry Watkins Allen | ||
| Seat | Oberlin | ||
| Largest city | Oakdale | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 766 sq mi (1,980 km2) | ||
| • Land | 762 sq mi (1,970 km2) | ||
| • Water | 4.1 sq mi (11 km2) 0.5% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,750 | ||
| • Density | 29.700/sq mi (11.467/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | ||
| Area code |
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| Congressional district | 4th | ||
Allen Parish (French: Paroisse d'Allen) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,750. The parish seat is Oberlin and the largest city is Oakdale. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria.
Allen Parish is named for former Confederate States Army general and Governor of Louisiana Henry Watkins Allen. It was separated in 1912 from the larger Calcasieu Parish to the southwest.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 766 square miles (1,980 km2), of which 762 square miles (1,970 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (0.5%) is water.
Allen Parish is bordered on the east by Evangeline Parish, on the south by Jefferson Davis Parish, and on the west by Beauregard Parish. Rapides Parish and Vernon Parish both border Allen Parish on the north. Allen Parish may be considered to belong to either the Southwest Louisiana region or to Central Louisiana. It is bordered on the east by Acadiana (Evangeline Parish). Part of Allen Parish, west of the Calcasieu River, lies within the historical "No Man's Land" or Neutral Ground of disputed territory between the US and Spain.
The geologic composition of Allen Parish, like most of Louisiana, is clay and mud.
Ecoregionally, Allen Parish primarily lies within the South Central Plains (USGS ecoregion 35), particularly the Flatwoods (ecoregion 35f), but also a bit of the Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) in the northwestern corner of the parish. The southeastern corner of the parish, is in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain (ecoregion 34), specifically the Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies (34a). The Calcasieu river forms the primary boundary between the piney woods and prairie regions of the parish.
Waterways
- Bundick Creek
- Calcasieu River
- Ouiski Chitto Creek
- Six Mile Creek
- Ten Mile Creek
Protected area
- West Bay Wildlife Management Area
Climate
| Weather chart for Allen Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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6.4
59
39
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4.7
63
43
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4.1
70
50
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5.1
77
56
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5.1
83
64
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5.8
89
70
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5.6
90
72
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5.1
91
72
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5.1
87
67
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4.6
79
57
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4.8
69
47
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5.5
61
42
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: National Weather Service |
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Metric conversion
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Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 18,382 | — | |
| 1930 | 15,261 | −17.0% | |
| 1940 | 17,540 | 14.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,835 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 19,867 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 20,794 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 21,390 | 2.9% | |
| 1990 | 21,226 | −0.8% | |
| 2000 | 25,440 | 19.9% | |
| 2010 | 25,764 | 1.3% | |
| 2020 | 22,750 | −11.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,146 | 66.58% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,016 | 17.65% |
| Native American | 525 | 2.31% |
| Asian | 183 | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 7 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 980 | 4.31% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,893 | 8.32% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,750 people, 7,925 households, and 5,566 families residing in the parish.
Economy
Allen Parish had 303 employer establishments in 2021, with a total employment of 3,513. Allen Parish's gross domestic product in 2022 was $898,617.
Lumber production is a strong industry in the parish, particularly in the area of Oakdale.
The Coushatta Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, is located in Kinder and employs about 2,600 people.
According to the Kinder Chamber of Commerce, "the gaming and hospitality industries, along with a plywood manufacturing facility, three prison facilities and a natural gas relay facility are the major private sector employers in the parish." The primary crops are rice and soybeans.
Arts and culture
The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana's territory is bounded within Allen and Jefferson Davis parishes, and the tribe maintains traditional creative expressions such as music, dance, and fiber arts. An annual powwow celebrating these arts takes place at the Coushatta Casino Resort near Kinder.
Allen Parish is the origin of several notable musicians: blues singer Roy Brown, and zydeco musicians Preston Frank and his son Keith Frank.
The Allen Parish Tourism Commission operates the Allen Parish Cultural Center near Kinder.
On September 27, 2008, the Allen Parish Tourist Commission opened Leatherwood Museum in Oakdale in a two-story house which served during the early 20th century as a hospital where women waited on the second-floor balcony to deliver their babies. The museum focuses on the history of agriculture and timber.
Education
Residents are zoned to Allen Parish Schools
There is a private school, Oberlin Covenant School, in Oberlin. As of 1992[update] it was the parish's sole private school.
It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.
Media
Allen Parish's newspapers are The Oakdale Journal and The Kinder Courier News, owned by Louisiana State Newspapers, Inc.
Allen Parish is home to one FM radio station, KKST-FM, an urban contemporary station in Oakdale. Oakdale listeners receive signals from Alexandria and Lafayette stations, while those in Kinder tend to receive from Lafayette and Lake Charles.
For television, Oakdale is served by Alexandria stations KATC (ABC and CW), and KALB (NBC, CBS, and CW). Kinder and Oberlin primarily receive Lake Charles station KPLC (NBC and CW).
Transportation
Transportation in Allen Parish relies on highways and parish roads. The nearest long-distance bus stations are in Alexandria, Opelousas, Lafayette, and Lake Charles.
US 165 runs North–South. The other major highways, which are US 190, LA 10, and LA 26, run East–West.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 165
U.S. Highway 190
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 26
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National Guard
Detachment 1, B Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion of the 256TH IBCT resided in Oakdale, Louisiana. This unit deployed twice to Iraq in 2004-5 and 2010. Armory was closed, elements moved to Camp Beauregard.
Communities
City
- Oakdale (largest municipality)
Towns
Village
Unincorporated communities
Notable people
- Roy Brown (1925–1981), R&B singer, songwriter, and musician
- William J. "Bill" Dodd (1909–1991), Louisiana lieutenant governor from 1948 to 1952 and Louisiana state representative from 1940 to 1948
- Faye Emerson (1917–1983), film and stage actress and television interviewer
- Beau Jocque (1953–1999), Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter
- Douglas B. Fournet (1943–1968), posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War
- Preston Frank (born 1947), zydeco accordionist and band leader
- Keith Frank (born 1972), zydeco accordionist and band leader
- Hoyle Granger (born 1944), former American football player in the NFL. Member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
- Gilbert Franklin Hennigan (1883–1960), Louisiana state senator from 1944 to 1956.
- Dorothy Sue Hill (born 1939), rancher and retired educator. Former Louisiana state representative for the 32nd District.
- Leroy Johnson (1919–1944), posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during World War II
- E. Holman Jones (1926–2014), United States Navy veteran of World War II and Louisiana state representative from 1968 to 1972
- Coleman Lindsey (1892–1968), Louisiana state senator from 1924 to 1928 and 1932–1939. Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1939 to 1940
- Mary Evelyn Parker (1920–2015), first female Treasurer of Louisiana from 1968 to 1987
- R.C. Slocum (born 1944), former head football coach at Texas A&M
- Blake Trahan (born 1993), former professional baseball shortstop with the Cincinnati Reds
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Allen para niños
