Krotz Springs, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Krotz Springs, Louisiana
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Town
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| Town of Krotz Springs | |
Location of Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Landry |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.73 sq mi (4.49 km2) |
| • Land | 1.73 sq mi (4.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 904 |
| • Density | 523.15/sq mi (202.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP |
70750
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| Area code(s) | 337 |
| FIPS code | 22-40280 |
Krotz Springs is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Atchafalaya River. The population was 1,198 at the 2010 census, down from 1,219 in 2000. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Around the turn of the 20th century, an Ohio native, Charles William Krotz, bought 20,000 acres (81 km2) of woodland around the Atchafalaya Basin and set up a sawmill to trim the trees hauled out of the basin. The tiny settlement that grew up around the mill was called Latania (fan palm), after the bayou of the same name and the types of palm plants found in the area.
Thinking he was sitting on an untapped pool of oil, Krotz attempted to drill the first oil well in St. Landry Parish in 1900, but he struck water instead of oil, the result becoming known as Krotz’s spring. The spring was used to supply water for the developing sawmill town, and Krotz even bottled the water, selling it throughout the country.
In 1909, a post office was established in the town, and the obvious choice of a name was Krotz Springs.
The Krotz Springs Bridge spanning the Atchafalaya River opened in 1928 and carried railroad and automobile traffic. It was superseded by other bridges at the same location in 1934, 1973, and 1988.
Mayors
Robert A. Moran, a Democrat served as mayor from 1986 until his death in May 1987. On November 21, 1987, James Rasie Nall defeated Ina Moran (D) in a runoff election for mayor. Four years later, on October 6, 1990, Gary Soileau (D) defeated Larry Martinez, Sr. (D), in a landslide victory with 86 percent of the ballots cast. Soileau would remain mayor until he retired in 2010, when he was succeeded by current Mayor Carroll Snyder, another Krotz Springs Democrat.
List of most Krotz Springs Mayors since 1917:
| Charles W. Krotz | 1917 - 1925 |
| Lester Lemoine | 1926 - ? |
| James Edward Helton | 1930 - 1932 |
| Ralph DelBuono | 1932 - ? |
| Eddie Eusay | 1944 - 1950 |
| Clinton C Artigue | 1950 - 1954 |
| Eddie Eusay | 1955 - 1956 |
| Robert Humphreys | 1956 - 1958 |
| James Rasie Nall | 1958 - 1986 |
| Robert A Moran | 1986 - 1987 |
| James Rasie Nall | 1987 - 1989 |
| Gary Soileau | 1989 - 2010 |
| Carroll Snyder | 2010 – Present |
Geography
Krotz Springs is located at 30°32′15″N 91°45′18″W / 30.53750°N 91.75500°W (30.537565, -91.754926). On the eastern border of the town is Pointe Coupee Parish over the Atchafalaya River via U.S. Highway 190 while Opelousas, the St. Landry Parish seat, is located 20 miles (32 km) west of Krotz Springs. The city of Baton Rouge is located 40 miles (64 km) to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 247 | — | |
| 1930 | 449 | 81.8% | |
| 1940 | 630 | 40.3% | |
| 1950 | 866 | 37.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,057 | 22.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,435 | 35.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,374 | −4.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,285 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,219 | −5.1% | |
| 2010 | 1,198 | −1.7% | |
| 2020 | 904 | −24.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 827 | 91.48% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7 | 0.77% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.55% |
| Asian | 1 | 0.11% |
| Other/Mixed | 37 | 4.09% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 27 | 2.99% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 904 people, 373 households, and 242 families residing in the town.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,198 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.2% Black, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian and 0.3% from two or more races. 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Film history
- 1966: The prison camp scenes in Nevada Smith, starring Steve McQueen, were filmed just west of Krotz Springs in the 2 O'Clock Bayou area.
- 1969: The final scene of Easy Rider, starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, was filmed a few miles north of there, in which the two main characters are shot by two local residents, David C. Billodeau and Johnny David, on Louisiana Highway 105.
- 1998: In the film Out of Sight, starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, two of the main characters lose control of their vehicle coming down the Atchafalaya River Bridge on U.S. Route 190 Westbound.
See also
In Spanish: Krotz Springs para niños
