Washington, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Washington, Louisiana
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Town
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| Town of Washington | |
_and_Main_Street_(Louisiana_Route_182)_in_Washington,_Louisiana.jpg) |
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Location of Washington 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 | 0.85 sq mi (2.20 km2) |
| • Land | 0.83 sq mi (2.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 742 |
| • Density | 897.22/sq mi (346.23/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 337 |
| FIPS code | 22-79870 |
Washington is a village in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 964 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area. Washington was the largest inland port between New Orleans and St. Louis for much of the 19th century.
Contents
Geography
Washington is located at 30°36′52″N 92°3′30″W / 30.61444°N 92.05833°W (30.614428, -92.058363).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) of it is land and 1.15% is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 536 | — | |
| 1870 | 907 | 69.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,194 | 31.6% | |
| 1890 | 1,064 | −10.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,197 | 12.5% | |
| 1910 | 1,528 | 27.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,041 | −31.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,004 | −3.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,264 | 25.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,291 | 2.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,291 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,473 | 14.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,266 | −14.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,253 | −1.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,082 | −13.6% | |
| 2010 | 964 | −10.9% | |
| 2020 | 742 | −23.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 302 | 40.7% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 410 | 55.26% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 17 | 2.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12 | 1.62% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 742 people, 382 households, and 212 families residing in the town.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 964 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 52.8% Black, 43.2% White, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Asian and 1.7% from two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
History
During the American Civil War, the Thirteenth Connecticut, part of Union General Nathaniel P. Banks' forces, occupied Washington, then larger than the parish seat of Opelousas. Washington was, according to the historian John D. Winters in The Civil War in Louisiana "squalid and dirty . . . [with] filth, ugly buildings, and its large number of black inhabitants." Winters reports that Banks' men operated from Washington, Opelousas, New Iberia, and Alexandria in "gathering cotton, vegetables, molasses, rum, sugar, saddles, bridles, horses, mules, cattle, corn, and sweet potatoes. Negroes were mounted and assisted in driving in the cattle and horses found hidden in the woods and swamps. Between eight and ten thousand bales of cotton were collected. It was estimated that the . . . region was stripped of legitimate forage valued at more than ten million dollars. . . . "
Festival
Washington holds the annual Festival du Courtableau, now renamed the Washington Catfish Festival.
Speed trap
According to a 2007 report, Washington was named among the ten worst speed traps in the state of Louisiana. Washington made 50.84 percent of its revenue, an average of roughly $370 per capita population, from fines and forfeitures in the 2005 fiscal year. A motorist passing through for the Catfish Festival could be ticketed for going two miles over the speed limit.
In 2014, State Representative Alan Seabaugh targeted Washington as the most "notorious" speed trap in the state. He obtained approval of the House Transportation Committee to allow enforcement of traffic laws only if a community had incorporated at least one-half mile of land that extends to each side of an interstate highway, excluding overpasses and ramps. Seabaugh said that he receives many complaints from his constituents in Shreveport and even out-of-state residents who have been ticketed for speeding when exceeding the 75 m.p.h. limit only by a mile or two.
Notable people
- Oramel H. Simpson, governor
- Arthur T. Prescott, academic president and administrator
See also
In Spanish: Washington (Luisiana) para niños
