Tallulah, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tallulah, Louisiana
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City
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| City of Tallulah | |
Tallulah municipal building
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Location of Tallulah in Madison Parish, Louisiana
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 Tallulah, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Tallulah, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Madison |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2) |
| • Land | 2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,286 |
| • Density | 2,258.71/sq mi (872.07/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
71282, 71284
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| FIPS code | 22-74690 |
Tallulah is a city in, and the parish seat of, Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The 2010 population was 7,335, a decrease of 1,854, or 20.2 percent, from the 9,189 recorded at the 2000 census.
As this was historically a center of agriculture since the antebellum years, producing cotton and pecans, Tallulah and the parish have long had majority-African American populations. The small city is now nearly 77 percent African American; the surrounding parish is 60 percent black. Mechanization and industrial agriculture have reduced the number of jobs, and many residents have moved since the mid-20th century to larger cities with more opportunities.
Tallulah is the principal city of the Tallulah Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Madison Parish. The Madison Parish Sheriff's office operates the Steve Hoyle Rehabilitation Center in Tallulah.
Contents
Town name
When the railroad was expanding in the area, a widow who owned a large plantation became friendly with the contractor and persuaded him to change the route of the railroad to run through her plantation. After the railroad was built, she had nothing else to do with him. Feeling rejected, he named the water stop for an old girlfriend named Tallulah, instead of the plantation owner.
History
During the American Civil War, Union gunboats in Lake Providence headed south to Tallulah, where they burned the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Texas Railroad's depot and captured Confederate supplies awaiting shipment to Indian Territory. The Confederates in Tallulah offered no resistance. Numerous potential Confederate troops in the area were turned down for enlistment because of a lack of weapons.
Tallulah was the first U.S. city to offer shoppers an indoor shopping mall. A businessman built Bloom's Arcade in 1925, in the style of European arcades. It was one hall with stores on either side much like the ones today. The hall opened into the street on both ends. This landmark is still in Tallulah on U.S. Route 80 on the historical registry. As of late 2013, it has been restored to its original character and functions as an apartment complex. Madison Parish claims the title of birthplace of Delta Air Lines, and the original airport building, Scott's Field, still stands near Tallulah, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On April 24, 2010, an EF4 tornado touched down near Tallulah, causing numerous injuries. The tornado also damaged a tanker in a chemical plant causing a small nitrogen leak. The tornado continued on the ground across the Mississippi River. As the tornado gained strength, it struck Yazoo, Holmes, and Choctaw counties in Mississippi, causing 10 fatalities and extensive destruction. Significant damage to an industrial plant with injuries, trapped people and destroyed homes were reported in Madison Parish near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line. There were fifty-four tornadoes reported that day.
The Seviers of Tallulah
Tallulah and Madison Parish have been the center of numerous members of the prominent Sevier family, who are descended from John Sevier, a soldier in the American Revolution. Later serving as first Governor of Tennessee, he was the namesake for the city of Sevierville, Tennessee.
George Washington Sevier, Sr. (1858–1925), the father of Andrew L. Sevier, was a member of the Madison Parish Police Jury and served as the parish tax assessor from 1891–1916. Andrew Leonard Sevier, Sr. was a member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1932 until his death in 1962. His widow, the former Irene Newman Jordan, served the rest of his term. Andrew Jackson Sevier, Jr., served as sheriff of Madison Parish from 1904 until his death in office in 1941. He was succeeded for the rest of his term by his widow, Mary Louise Day Sevier. A cousin of the Seviers, Henry Clay Sevier, was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936–52.
James D. Sevier, Sr., and his son, also named James, held the office of tax assessor for more than four decades. Except for the years 1887–90, there was at least one member of the Sevier family in public office for the 122 years preceding 2005. Mason Spencer, husband of Rosa Sevier Spencer, represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana House from 1924–36 and planned to run for governor of Louisiana in 1935 but withdrew his candidacy, and victory went to Richard Leche of New Orleans.
Among the political leaders from this family were William Putnam "Buck" Sevier, Jr., a banker, town alderman, and mayor of Tallulah from 1946-74. Sevier at the time of his death held the record at more than forty-four years as the longest-serving publicly elected official in Louisiana.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 847 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,316 | 55.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,332 | 153.2% | |
| 1940 | 5,712 | 71.4% | |
| 1950 | 7,758 | 35.8% | |
| 1960 | 9,413 | 21.3% | |
| 1970 | 9,643 | 2.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,341 | 17.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,526 | −24.8% | |
| 2000 | 9,189 | 7.8% | |
| 2010 | 7,335 | −20.2% | |
| 2020 | 6,286 | −14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,016 | 16.16% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,037 | 80.13% |
| Native American | 12 | 0.19% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.08% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 113 | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 100 | 1.59% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,286 people, 2,561 households, and 1,528 families residing in the city.
Education
Madison Parish School Board operates public schools.
- Madison High School - grades 9-12
- Madison Middle School (grades 7 and 8)
- Wright Elementary School (grades 4-6)
- Tallulah Elementary School (grades PreK-3)
Louisiana Technical College operates a Tallulah campus.
Notable people
- Clifford Cleveland Brooks, planter in St. Joseph, represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932.
- Buddy Caldwell, former Attorney General of Louisiana since 2008; former Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parish district attorney
- James Haynes, NFL player
- John Littleton, born in Tallulah (1930) and died in France (1998), opera and gospel singer.
- Paul Jorgensen, professional boxer
- Edgar H. Lancaster Jr., state representative from 1952 to 1968 and interim judge, 1992-1993
- John Little, professional football player
- Joe Osborn, musician
- James E. Paxton, district attorney for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes; native of Madison Parish; resides in St. Joseph in Tensas Parish
- Andrew Jackson Sevier, Sheriff of Madison Parish from 1904 to 1941.
- James Silas, professional basketball player.
- Jefferson B. Snyder, district attorney of Madison Parish from 1904 to 1948.
- Madam C. J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867, near Delta, Louisiana. She was a businesswoman who became a self-made millionaire from health care products she developed and sold for African Americans.
- Zelma Wyche, political activist, first African-American police chief, and elected mayor of Tallulah, sometimes called "Mr. Civil Rights of Louisiana".
See also
In Spanish: Tallulah para niños
