Ferriday, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ferriday, Louisiana
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| City of Ferriday | |
Downtown Ferriday
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Location of Ferriday in Concordia Parish, Louisiana.
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 Ferriday, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Ferriday, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Concordia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.63 sq mi (4.22 km2) |
| • Land | 1.63 sq mi (4.22 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,189 |
| • Density | 1,957.64/sq mi (755.74/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
71334
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| Area code(s) | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-25440 |
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish, which borders the Mississippi River and is located on the central eastern border of Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,511 at the 2010 census. It is an African-American majority town.
Ferriday was integral to the promotion of blues music through Haney's Big House lounge in the African-American community. Almost every Delta Blues musician played at Haney's. The Delta Music Museum in the downtown historic district is open daily to visitors, many of whom come from out of state. It is located next to the restored Arcade Theater. The museum contains exhibits on Ferriday natives, some of whom were blues, rock, pop, and country musicians.
The town claims to have produced more famous people per square mile than any other in America. This statement intrigued author Elaine Dundy, who explored both celebrities and townsfolk in her book, Ferriday, Louisiana, published by E. P. Dutton in 1991.
Churches of several major denominations are located here, including a large Pentecostal congregation south of town on Louisiana Highway 15, as well as Baptist, Assembly of God, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic.
Contents
Geography
Ferriday is situated on the west side of Lake Concordia and 8 miles (13 km) from Lake St. John, oxbow lakes famous for recreational and professional bass fishing.
U.S. Routes 84 and 425 pass through the center of Ferriday. US 84 leads west 16 miles (26 km) to Jonesville, and US 425 leads north 6 miles (10 km) to Clayton. The two highways jointly lead southeast 11 miles (18 km) to Natchez, Mississippi.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Ferriday has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2), all being land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 577 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,044 | 80.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,502 | 139.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,857 | 14.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,847 | 34.7% | |
| 1960 | 4,563 | 18.6% | |
| 1970 | 5,239 | 14.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,472 | −14.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,111 | −8.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,723 | −9.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,511 | −5.7% | |
| 2020 | 3,189 | −9.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 362 | 11.35% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,704 | 84.79% |
| Native American | 10 | 0.31% |
| Asian | 7 | 0.22% |
| Other/Mixed | 55 | 1.72% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 51 | 1.6% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,189 people, 1,354 households, and 885 families residing in the town.
Photo gallery
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Ferriday welcoming sign on LA 15
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Downtown Ferriday in August 2008
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Downtown green space in Ferriday across from Delta Music Museum
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Tour guide Theresa D. Pullon at the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, with replicas of Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mickey Gilley in the background -
Concordia Sentinel newspaper office in Ferriday. The Sentinel was founded by J.L. Rountree in 1882 and published by Sam Hanna, Jr., of West Monroe. -
Concordia Bank in Ferriday -
Delta Bank is across from the Delta Music Museum in downtown Ferriday. -
Large Pentecostal Church in south Ferriday -
First Baptist Church of Ferriday on LA 15 -
Ferriday's small First Presbyterian Church, (PC-USA) was founded on May 4, 1924. -
The Concordia Parish Library in Ferriday -
Ferriday High School adjacent to parish library -
"FHS" carved in shrubbery at Ferriday High School -
The private Huntington School opened in Ferriday in 1970. -
Jerry Lee Lewis Drive in Ferriday en route to Huntington School -
The Relax Inn on Highway 15 is Ferriday's only motel. -
Long abandoned Brocato's Restaurant in Ferriday -
Scorched corn fields between Jonesville and Ferriday (August 2008)
Education
The Concordia Parish School Board serves Ferriday. Ferriday High School is located off LA 15. Its sports teams are known as the Trojans. To the right rear of the high school is the Concordia Parish Library.
The private Huntington High School, first established for all grades in 1970, was located in a middle-class residential area of the town. It is one of the "segregation academies", private schools founded by white parents who withdrew from the public system when its schools were desegregated. Bryant Hammett, a former State Representative, graduated from Huntington in 1974. Al Ater, later elected as Louisiana Secretary of State, was a graduate of the founding class. Publisher Sam Hanna was among its first directors. Huntington closed in 2010.
Founder and head of the board, Craig Jackson, established the Delta Charter School in 2013 in Huntington's buildings.
The Central Louisiana Technical Community College is located in Ferriday.
Notable people
- Andy Anders, politician and farm equipment salesman in Ferriday; current state representative for Concordia Parish
- Campbell Brown, NBC and CNN news correspondent
- Brenham C. Crothers (1905-1984), state senator from 1948 to 1952 and 1956 to 1960
- Mickey Gilley, country musician and owner of Gilley's Nightclub in Pasadena, Texas
- Dale Houston (1940–2007), whose single "I'm Leaving It Up To You" reached No. 1 in 1963
- Jerry Lee Lewis, rock and roll pioneer, pianist
- Howard K. Smith (1914-2002), CBS and ABC commentator and anchorman; Howard K. Smith: News and Comment (1962–1963)
Images for kids
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Delta Music Museum
See also
In Spanish: Ferriday para niños
