Melville, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melville, Louisiana
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Town
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| Town of Melville | |
Location of Melville 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 | 1.29 sq mi (3.33 km2) |
| • Land | 1.26 sq mi (3.25 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 759 |
| • Density | 604.30/sq mi (233.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 337 |
| FIPS code | 22-49730 |
Melville is a small town in Louisiana, a state in the United States. It's located in St. Landry Parish. In 2020, about 759 people called Melville home.
Melville was started in 1889. It is famous for being the "Atchafalaya River Catfish Capital of Louisiana." This means many people there enjoy fishing for catfish in the Atchafalaya River. The town is right across the river from Red Cross, Louisiana, which is now a ghost town (a town where almost no one lives anymore).
Contents
Exploring Melville's Location
Melville is found at specific coordinates: 30.693351 degrees North and -91.745506 degrees West.
Land and Water Area
The town covers a total area of about 3.3 square kilometers (or 1.29 square miles). Most of this area, about 3.25 square kilometers (1.26 square miles), is land. Only a tiny part, about 0.08 square kilometers (0.03 square miles), is water.
Protecting Melville from Floods
Melville is mostly flat land. It has a special protective wall called a "ring levee" around it. This levee helps keep the town safe from floods. It protects Melville from the Atchafalaya River and the West Atchafalaya Floodway, which is a large area designed to carry floodwaters.
Melville's Climate
The weather in Melville changes throughout the year. Here's a quick look at the average temperatures and rainfall:
| Climate data for Melville, Louisiana | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
18 (65) |
22 (72) |
26 (79) |
29 (85) |
33 (91) |
33 (92) |
33 (92) |
31 (88) |
27 (81) |
22 (72) |
18 (64) |
26 (79) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4 (40) |
6 (43) |
10 (50) |
13 (56) |
17 (63) |
21 (69) |
22 (72) |
22 (71) |
19 (66) |
13 (55) |
8 (46) |
5 (41) |
13 (56) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 140 (5.4) |
120 (4.9) |
130 (5.0) |
130 (5.3) |
130 (5.2) |
100 (4.1) |
130 (5.1) |
110 (4.5) |
99 (3.9) |
74 (2.9) |
110 (4.2) |
150 (5.9) |
1,430 (56.4) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
People of Melville
The number of people living in Melville has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 361 | — | |
| 1900 | 517 | 43.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,093 | 111.4% | |
| 1920 | 958 | −12.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,541 | 60.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,828 | 18.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,901 | 4.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,939 | 2.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,987 | 2.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,764 | −11.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,562 | −11.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,376 | −11.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,041 | −24.3% | |
| 2020 | 759 | −27.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 1,041 people living in Melville.
- About 51.9% of the people were Black.
- About 45.0% were White.
- A small number were Native American (0.2%) or Asian (0.2%).
- About 1.0% were from two or more racial backgrounds.
- Around 1.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Population in 2000
In 2000, Melville had 1,376 residents. There were 542 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. About 363 of these were families.
- About 32.3% of households had children under 18.
- Around 40.6% were married couples.
- About 20.8% were households led by a woman without a husband.
- About 31.0% of all households had just one person living alone.
The average household had 2.54 people, and the average family had 3.17 people. The median age in town was 35 years old. This means half the people were younger than 35, and half were older.
Famous People from Melville
Melville is the hometown of a few notable individuals:
- Lottie Beebe: Born in Melville in 1953, Lottie Beebe became a superintendent of public schools. She worked in St. Martin Parish. She was also a member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, representing the Republican Party.
- Lieutenant General Edward Honor Sr.: Edward Honor was born in Melville on March 17, 1933. He had a long and successful career in the U.S. Army, serving for 35 years. He became a lieutenant general and was the director of logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon from 1987 until he retired in 1989.
- Velma Hendrix: Velma Hendrix served as the mayor of Melville. Sadly, she passed away in a car accident on Election Day, November 8, 2022, while seeking reelection.
See also
In Spanish: Melville (Luisiana) para niños
