St. Joseph, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. Joseph, Louisiana
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Town
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| Town of Saint Joseph | |
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Location of St. Joseph in Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Tensas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2) |
| • Land | 0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 831 |
| • Density | 933.71/sq mi (360.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
71366
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| Area code(s) | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-67495 |
St. Joseph, often called St. Joe, is a small town in northeastern Louisiana, United States. It is the main town, or parish seat, of Tensas Parish. St. Joseph is located in the delta area of the Mississippi River. In 2020, about 831 people lived in the town. Most of the residents, around 77.14 percent, were African American in 2020.
Contents
History of St. Joseph
The first store in the area that became St. Joseph opened around 1813. It was known as John Densmore's Landing back then. In 1843, European-American settlers planned and built St. Joseph. They designed it with a village green, which is a common open space in the center of a town, similar to those found in New England. The downtown area, especially along Plank Road, is recognized for its history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The land around the town was used for growing cotton.
St. Joseph During the Civil War
From 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, Louisiana was part of the Confederacy's Trans-Mississippi Department. St. Joseph was an important crossing point over the Mississippi River. Confederate soldiers kept a strong presence on the riverbank opposite St. Joseph. This made it very difficult for the Union forces to stop people and goods from crossing the river in 1865.
The Jesse James Gang in St. Joseph
In 1879, the famous outlaw Jesse James and his gang robbed two stores in Mississippi. They stole $2,000 in cash from the second robbery. After the robberies, the gang crossed the Mississippi River and hid in some empty cabins on the Kemp Plantation, south of St. Joseph. A group of law enforcement officers, called a posse, found them. They attacked the gang, killing two of the outlaws. However, they could not capture the entire gang. Jesse James himself was killed three years later by a member of his own gang in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Lake Bruin State Park
St. Joseph is the gateway to Lake Bruin State Park. This park is located on Lake Bruin, which is an oxbow lake. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake that forms when a wide bend of a river is cut off from the main river channel. Lake Bruin was once part of the nearby Mississippi River.
Water System Challenges
In December 2012, people living in St. Joseph were told to boil their drinking water. This was because of problems with the town's old water system. A machine failure at the water treatment plant caused the water supply to drop suddenly. In March 2013, a water main broke. There were also leaks at the bottom of the city's water tower.
State Senator Francis C. Thompson asked for emergency money to fix the water system. This system provides water to about 700 homes and businesses. In 2016, the town had trouble getting an audit of its finances approved. This audit was needed to get more money for the water system.
In December 2016, Governor John Bel Edwards promised to replace the entire water system in St. Joseph. An engineer named Bryant Hammett estimated the project would cost about $9 million. He thought it could be finished by September 2017. Residents were advised not to drink or cook with the water. However, they could use it for bathing and washing clothes. The Governor's Office of Homeland Security provided bottled drinking water for the residents.
Geography and Climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, St. Joseph covers an area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Climate in St. Joseph
St. Joseph has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The area gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for St. Joseph 3 N, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
103 (39) |
106 (41) |
106 (41) |
107 (42) |
99 (37) |
90 (32) |
88 (31) |
107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.6 (14.8) |
62.7 (17.1) |
70.3 (21.3) |
77.5 (25.3) |
85.0 (29.4) |
90.5 (32.5) |
93.0 (33.9) |
93.3 (34.1) |
89.5 (31.9) |
80.5 (26.9) |
69.7 (20.9) |
61.0 (16.1) |
77.6 (25.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.0 (8.3) |
50.9 (10.5) |
58.0 (14.4) |
65.1 (18.4) |
73.4 (23.0) |
79.6 (26.4) |
81.9 (27.7) |
81.5 (27.5) |
76.8 (24.9) |
66.6 (19.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
49.4 (9.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.5 (1.9) |
39.0 (3.9) |
45.8 (7.7) |
52.7 (11.5) |
61.8 (16.6) |
68.6 (20.3) |
70.9 (21.6) |
69.7 (20.9) |
64.1 (17.8) |
52.6 (11.4) |
43.0 (6.1) |
37.8 (3.2) |
53.5 (11.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
2 (−17) |
18 (−8) |
29 (−2) |
32 (0) |
47 (8) |
52 (11) |
52 (11) |
35 (2) |
23 (−5) |
16 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.25 (159) |
5.50 (140) |
5.71 (145) |
4.86 (123) |
4.37 (111) |
4.17 (106) |
4.68 (119) |
4.39 (112) |
3.56 (90) |
3.80 (97) |
5.39 (137) |
5.55 (141) |
58.23 (1,479) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.6 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 94.4 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
St. Joseph's population has changed over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived there during different census counts:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 486 | — | |
| 1890 | 473 | −2.7% | |
| 1900 | 717 | 51.6% | |
| 1910 | 740 | 3.2% | |
| 1920 | 734 | −0.8% | |
| 1930 | 864 | 17.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,096 | 26.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,218 | 11.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,653 | 35.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,864 | 12.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,687 | −9.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,517 | −10.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,340 | −11.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,176 | −12.2% | |
| 2020 | 831 | −29.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 831 people living in St. Joseph. These people made up 377 households, and 200 of these were families.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 152 | 18.29% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 641 | 77.14% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.36% |
| Other/Mixed | 21 | 2.53% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14 | 1.68% |
Education in St. Joseph
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Tensas High School opened in the fall of 2006. It brought together students from three older schools: Joseph Moore Davidson High School in St. Joseph, Newellton High School in Newellton, and Waterproof High School in Waterproof. The school board wanted to improve education by having one main high school for the whole parish. Tensas Parish has the smallest population of any parish in Louisiana.
In August 1970, Tensas Academy, a private school, started operating in St. Joseph. This happened during the first semester of school desegregation, after federal courts ordered the district to follow new rules. Tensas Academy is still open today.
Notable People from St. Joseph
Many interesting people have connections to St. Joseph:
- Daniel F. Ashford (1879–1929) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served from 1916 until he passed away. He was a planter and was the first person in Tensas Parish to own both an automobile and a wristwatch.
- Clifford Cleveland Brooks was a cotton planter who owned the Botany Bay plantation on Lake Bruin. He served as a member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932.
- George Henry Clinton was a chemist and a lawyer. He was a member of both houses of the Louisiana legislature, representing Tensas Parish.
- Charles C. Cordill (1855–1916) was a wealthy cotton planter. He served as a state senator from 1884 to 1912. He was also a judge in Tensas Parish and president of the police jury.
- Joseph T. Curry (1895–1961) was a planter. He was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1930 to 1944.
- Prince McCoy was a blues musician who was born in Saint Joseph.
- Robert H. Snyder (died 1906) was a state representative. He served as the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1904 until his death.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: St. Joseph (Luisiana) para niños
