Jean Lafitte, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana
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Town
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| Town of Jean Lafitte | ||
A portion of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Bayou Barataria
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Location of Jean Lafitte in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Louisiana | |
| Parish | Jefferson | |
| Named for | Jean Lafitte | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6.21 sq mi (16.09 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.85 sq mi (15.15 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.36 sq mi (0.93 km2) | |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,809 | |
| • Rank | JE: 5th | |
| • Density | 341.88/sq mi (132.00/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP code |
70067
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| Area code(s) | 504 | |
| FIPS code | 22-38092 | |
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Jean Lafitte (pronounced JEEN lə-FEET) is a small town in Louisiana, a state in the United States. It is located on Bayou Barataria in Jefferson Parish. The town is named after Jean Lafitte, a famous privateer who operated in the area long ago. A privateer was like a pirate, but they had permission from a government to attack enemy ships.
In 2020, about 1,809 people lived in Jean Lafitte. The town is part of the larger New Orleans area, which includes cities like Metairie and Kenner.
Contents
History of Jean Lafitte
The area where Jean Lafitte is located was first settled by Native Americans. Later, French explorers and settlers came to the region. They found that the bayou was a good place for large ships to dock when traveling to and from New Orleans.
Today, the communities along Bayou Barataria include Jean Lafitte, Lafitte, Crown Point, and Barataria.
Town's Beginnings
The town of Jean Lafitte officially became a town in 1974. This was thanks to the efforts of Leo E. Kerner Jr., who became the town's very first mayor. His son, Tim Kerner Sr., later served as mayor for many years, from 1992 to 2020. In 2020, Tim Kerner Sr.'s son, Tim Kerner Jr., was elected as the new mayor. So, it's a family tradition!
Improvements and Growth
Under the leadership of Timothy Kerner Sr., the town grew a lot. Many new buildings and services were added for the community. These included:
- A visitor center for tourists
- A museum to learn about the area's past
- A large auditorium that can hold 1,300 people
- A library for reading and learning
- A civic center for community events
- A baseball park for sports
- A senior center for older residents
- A medical clinic for healthcare
- An art gallery to display local art
- A nature trail for exploring the outdoors
One of the biggest achievements was creating the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District. This group helped get over $300 million to build special walls and levees. These structures protect the town from high tides and floods.
Manila Village History
In 2012, a special sign was put up in Jean Lafitte to remember a community called Manila Village. Since 2013, Manila Plaza, which is in front of the Jean Lafitte Town Hall, has had several signs and plaques. These honor important people and moments in the history of Filipino Americans in the area. The Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society helped with this dedication.
Manila Village was the largest of several Filipino settlements along the Louisiana coast in the late 1800s. The people who lived there were sometimes called Manilamen or Tagalas. They built platforms to dry shrimp, which helped start Louisiana's dried shrimp industry. This unique community, built on stilts over the water, thrived for almost 100 years. However, it was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965.
In 2014, another historical marker was placed at the town's visitor center. It explains that Jean Lafitte is named after the famous privateer. It also mentions that the town has a strong seafood industry and was first incorporated as a village in 1974, becoming a town in 1977. Leo E. Kerner Jr. was the first mayor of both the village and the town.
Geography
Jean Lafitte covers a total area of about 6.3 square miles (16.3 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 6.0 square miles (15.5 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.3 square miles (0.8 square kilometers) is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 936 | — | |
| 1990 | 1,469 | 56.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,137 | 45.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,903 | −10.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,809 | −4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,491 | 82.42% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 20 | 1.11% |
| Native American | 42 | 2.32% |
| Asian | 22 | 1.22% |
| Other/Mixed | 142 | 7.85% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 92 | 5.09% |
In 2020, the town of Jean Lafitte had 1,809 people living in 604 households. Most residents were non-Hispanic white. There were also smaller groups of Black or African American, Native American, Asian, and people of other or mixed races. About 5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Education
Children living in Jean Lafitte go to schools run by Jefferson Parish Public Schools.
Students in kindergarten through 6th grade attend Leo E. Kerner Elementary School. This school used to be called Lafitte Elementary School. For grades 7 through 12, students go to Fisher Middle-High School.
Lafitte Library
The Leo E. Kerner Jr. City Park Multi-Purpose Complex is located in Jean Lafitte. Inside this complex, you'll find the Lafitte Library, which is part of the Jefferson Parish Library system.
The library is quite large, covering over 4,500 square feet (418 square meters). This is almost three times bigger than the old library building! The new facility opened on March 4, 2010. The previous library was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, and its books and materials were destroyed.
To help rebuild, the American Library Association donated $200,000 to Louisiana. The Louisiana Library Association's Disaster Relief Program then gave $20,000 of that money to the Jefferson Parish Library to help rebuild the Lafitte Library. The old library building is now used as the Sheriff Harry Lee Police Station.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Lafitte (Luisiana) para niños
