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Richland Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

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Richland Parish
Parish
Alto Presbyterian Church
Alto Presbyterian Church
Map of Louisiana highlighting Richland Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Louisiana
Founded September 29, 1878
Named for Fertile (rich) land in the area
Seat Rayville
Largest town Rayville
Area
 • Total 576 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land 559 sq mi (1,450 km2)
 • Water 9.375 sq mi (24.28 km2)  1.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 20,043
 • Density 34.797/sq mi (13.435/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)

Richland Parish is a parish located in the North Louisiana Delta Country in the U.S. state of Louisiana, known for its fertile, flat farmland, cane brakes, and open spaces. The parish had a population of 20,043 at the 2020 United States census. The name Richland was chosen due to the rich production from farming. The parish seat and largest community is Rayville.

History

The parish was officially created on September 29, 1868. Rayville, Louisiana, the parish seat, was named for John Ray, a politician from Monroe with large land holdings in present-day Rayville.

Richland Parish is home to the first public parish library in the State of Louisiana, the Rhymes Memorial Library. The library was built in 1925 by the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. R.R. Rhymes donated the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes.

Geography

Bayou Macon flows through the eastern areas of Richland. Other tributaries in the parish include Crew Lake, and the Lafourche Diversion Canal are located in the western portion of the parish. Boeuf River flows from the northern end to the southern end in the center of the parish.

Adjacent parishes

Parks and wildlife management areas

Communities

Towns

Village

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

  • Alto
  • Archibald
  • Bardel
  • Bee Bayou
  • Buckner
  • Charlieville
  • Crew Lake
  • Dehlco
  • Dunn
  • Four Forks
  • Gilleyville
  • Girard
  • Holly Ridge
  • Jonesburg
  • Mitchiner
  • New Light
  • Rhymes
  • Sacksonia
  • Warden

Transportation

LA 15 bridge over Boeuf River
Bridge crossing the Boeuf River on Hwy 15 near Alto, LA
Interstates and State Highways
I-20.svg Interstate 20
US 80.svg U.S. Highway 80
US 425.svg U.S. Highway 425
Louisiana 15 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 15
Louisiana 17 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 17
Louisiana 132 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 132
Louisiana 133 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 133
Louisiana 135 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 135
Louisiana 585 (2008).svg Louisiana Highway 585
Air, Rail, Levee
Airport icon small.png Rayville Municipal Airport
Airport icon small.png Delhi Municipal Airport
Airport icon small.png Monroe Regional Airport
Kansas city south lines logo.svg Kansas City Southern Railroad
LA 15 bridge over Boeuf River.jpg Tensas Basin Levee District

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 5,110 —
1880 8,440 65.2%
1890 10,230 21.2%
1900 11,116 8.7%
1910 15,769 41.9%
1920 20,860 32.3%
1930 26,374 26.4%
1940 28,829 9.3%
1950 26,672 −7.5%
1960 23,824 −10.7%
1970 21,774 −8.6%
1980 22,187 1.9%
1990 20,629 −7.0%
2000 20,981 1.7%
2010 20,725 −1.2%
2020 20,043 −3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010

2020 census

Richland Parish racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 11,667 58.21%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,303 36.44%
Native American 53 0.26%
Asian 50 0.25%
Other/Mixed 570 2.84%
Hispanic or Latino 400 2.0%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,043 people, 7,459 households, and 4,972 families residing in the parish.

Education

Public schools

  • Delhi Elementary
  • Delhi Junior High
  • Delhi High School
  • Holly Ridge Elementary
  • Mangham Elementary
  • Mangham Junior High
  • Mangham High School
  • Rayville Elementary
  • Rayville Junior High
  • Rayville, High School
  • Start Elementary

Private schools

  • Riverfield Academy, K–12

Charter schools

  • Delhi Charter, K–12

Community and technical colleges

  • Louisiana Delta Community College, (with campus locations in neighboring Tallulah, Winnsboro, Lake Providence, Bastrop, Monroe, and West Monroe.)

Regional universities

Notable people

  • Julia Letlow, from Start, elected Member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives.
  • Luke Letlow, from Start, elected to the United States House of Representatives, but died of a heart attack caused by COVID-19 before he could be seated.
  • Ralph Abraham, from Alto, elected Member of Congress in United States House of Representatives.
  • Harry W. Addison was a Southern author and humorist who resided in Rayville from 1945 to 1957.
  • Jamar Adcock, a politician and banker in Monroe, born in Richland Parish
  • Terry Doughty, is a federally appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
  • Elvin Hayes, Hall of Fame basketball player, born in Rayville
  • Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
  • Ralph E. King, Winnsboro physician who represented Richland Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 to 1952 and again from 1956 to 1960
  • William L. Kirk, of Rayville was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
  • Ernie Ladd, a football player/professional wrestler, born in Rayville
  • Moses J. Liddell was appointed by President Grover Cleveland as a judge for the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.
  • Wiley Person Mangham, an American publisher and editor. He is the namesake for t
  • Tim McGraw, Country musician, born in Delhi, and raised in Start
  • Robert Max Ross, was a Republican politician and activist who qualified to run for governor, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, for the purpose of advancing the two-party system in Louisiana, at a time it did not exist.
  • Francis C. Thompson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1975 until 2008; since in the Louisiana State Senate
  • Tim McGraw

    Tim McGraw, a famous country musician.

  • Ralph Abraham official congressional photo

    Ralph Abraham, U.S. House of Representatives.

  • Elvin Hayes 1975

    Elvin Hayes, NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

  • Wiley Person Mangham2

    Wiley Person Mangham, American Publisher and Editor.

Gallery

  • Former Rayville High School, LA building IMG 0176

    Former Rayville High School, operated by the Richland Parish School Board and originally designed by the Shreveport architect Edward F. Neild, was renovated into an apartment complex

  • Holly Ridge Elementary School, Holly Ridge, LA IMG 0178

    Holly Ridge High School in Holly Ridge in rural Richland Parish

  • Veterans Memorial, Mangham, LA IMG 1290

    Veteran's Memorial in Mangham

  • Rhymes Memorial Library, Rayville, LA IMG 0167

    Rhymes Memorial Library in Rayville was the first parish wide public library in Louisiana.

  • Poverty Point Reservoir (2013) IMG 7439

    Poverty Point Reservoir in Delhi.

  • Start, LA, Baptist Church IMG 0141

    Start Baptist Church

  • Richland Parish Courthouse, Rayville, LA IMG 0153

    Richland Parish Courthouse, in Rayville

  • Alto Presbyterian Church

    Alto Presbyterian Church, built in 1873

  • Richland Parish, LA, Detention Center IMG 0350

    Richland Parish Detention Center near Alto, Louisiana

  • First Baptist Church, Delhi, LA IMG 0189

    First Baptist Church in Delhi

  • Northeast Louisiana Veteran's Cemetery

    Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Parroquia de Richland para niños

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