West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Feliciana ParishWest Feliciana Parish
Parish
Parish of West Feliciana Paroisse de Feliciana Ouest  (French) Parroquia de Feliciana Occidental  (Spanish)
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	1824
Area
• Total	426 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	403 sq mi (1,040 km2)
• Water	23 sq mi (60 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,310
• Estimate  (2025)	15,134
• Density	35.94/sq mi (13.876/km2)
Congressional district	5th

Louisiana State Penitentiary entrance

West Feliciana Parish is a special kind of county called a civil parish in Louisiana. In Louisiana, people use the word "parish" instead of "county" to describe local areas. West Feliciana sits along the beautiful, flowing Mississippi River in the Southern United States. The parish was created in 1824. The friendly parish seat is St. Francisville, which is the only official town in the whole parish. According to the 2020 United States census, 15,310 people lived in this parish. It belongs to the busy Baton Rouge metropolitan area. The region has lush green hills, historical towns, and exciting nature spots to explore.

History of West Feliciana Parish

Bayou Sara seen from the Mississippi River, late 1840s

The story of West Feliciana Parish goes back hundreds of years to when different nations explored North America. Long ago, Capuchin and Franciscan monks came to the region and set up a river post called Bayou Sara. Bayou Sara stood right along the shore of the Mississippi River. Over the years, big floods washed over the town. Eventually, the waters covered the older village completely. Because of the water danger, people moved higher up the bluffs and built St. Francisville.

Changes in Rule and New Nations

West Feliciana changed flags several times during the 1700s and 1800s. After France lost the Seven Years' War in 1763, it gave its lands east of the Mississippi to the Kingdom of Great Britain. The British included the area in their colony called West Florida. Later, Spain entered the American Revolutionary War and took over the region around 1780. Spanish leaders governed the area for three decades. In 1810, the local English-speaking settlers rebelled against the Spanish government. They created their own short-lived country called the Republic of West Florida. Soon after, the United States welcomed the region as part of the famous Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Today, people call this part of the state the Florida Parishes.

Creating the Parish

In 1810, leaders set up Feliciana Parish in the old Territory of Orleans. Two years later, Louisiana joined the Union as an official American state. As many families moved into the region, the population became too big for one parish. Therefore, in 1824, leaders divided the land into two sections: East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish. During the American Civil War, the parish gave monthly money to local families whose parents were serving in the military.

Voting and Politics Over Time

For a long time, white voters in West Feliciana supported the Democratic Party. After Reconstruction, state laws like Jim Crow rules kept African Americans from voting freely. In the 1960s, new federal laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protected voting rights for all citizens. During the 1972 presidential election, West Feliciana was the only Louisiana parish to vote for the Democratic team of George McGovern and Sargent Shriver instead of Richard Nixon. Since 2000, most parish voters have picked Republican Party candidates for president. In 2000, voters chose George W. Bush and Dick Cheney over Al Gore and Joe Lieberman. They voted for Bush again in 2004 over John Kerry and John Edwards. In 2008, the parish supported John McCain and Sarah Palin, though Barack Obama and Joe Biden won the nation.

Geography and Environment

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, West Feliciana Parish covers a total area of 426 square miles (1,100 km²). Land takes up 403 square miles (1,040 km²), while water covers 23 square miles (60 km²), which is about 5.3% of the parish. The parish is famous for having wind-blown dust soil called loess, which creates steep bluffs and rolling hills. The land is bordered by Pointe Coupee Parish across the river to the west and East Feliciana Parish to the east. It is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Baton Rouge and 60 miles (97 km) south of Natchez, Mississippi. Author Walker Percy loved this special landscape so much that he made it the setting for his book, The Thanatos Syndrome.

Major Roads and Highways

Cars and trucks travel across the parish using several paved state roads and national highways:

• U.S. Highway 61
• Louisiana Highway 10
• Louisiana Highway 15
• Louisiana Highway 66
• Louisiana Highway 421
• Louisiana Highway 964
• Louisiana Highway 965
• Louisiana Highway 966
• Louisiana Highway 967
• Louisiana Highway 968
• Louisiana Highway 969
• Louisiana Highway 3190

Neighboring Parishes and Counties

West Feliciana shares land and water borders with several neighboring areas:

• Wilkinson County, Mississippi (north)
• East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana (east)
• East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (south)
• West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (south)
• Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana (southwest)
• Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana (northwest)
• Concordia Parish, Louisiana (northwest)

Protected Wildlife Areas

Outdoor lovers enjoy visiting the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge. This protected park preserves natural wetlands, towering cypress trees, and habitats for native birds, deer, and fish. It sits right along a bend in the Mississippi River.

Towns and Communities

West Feliciana Parish has one official incorporated town and several small country communities.

• St. Francisville is the parish seat and the heart of government and tourism.
• Bains is an unincorporated village home to local schools.
• Tunica is a small historic community near the hills in the northern part of the parish.
• Wakefield is a peaceful rural community surrounded by forests and fields.
• Angola is a large river community that contains the state correctional facility.

People and Demographics

Over the years, the number of people living in West Feliciana has grown. The 2020 United States census counted 15,310 residents living in 3,869 households. Back in the 2000 U.S. census, there were 15,111 people, and the 2010 United States census counted 15,625 people. In 2020, the community included White residents (69.14%), Black or African American residents (23.44%), and Hispanic or Latino residents (4.25%). Small groups of Asian, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial families also live here.

Families live in rural homes, historic neighborhoods, and riverside farms. Many adults work in public services, river shipping, forestry, local government, and education.

Government and Facilities

West Feliciana Parish is governed by an elected Parish President and a five-member Parish Council. In 2013, the parish created this Home Rule Charter government to help run public services smoothly. Kevin Couhig was the first Parish President under this modern plan. Kenny Havard, who once served in the Louisiana House of Representatives, was elected in 2018 and continued leading the parish through his re-elections.

The parish has major utility and state facilities. The River Bend Nuclear Generating Station, run by Entergy, makes electricity using clean nuclear power. It produces around 10 percent of the total electrical power used across Louisiana. The parish also contains the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a large state facility run by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Education and Schools

Entrance to the school campus in Bains

Children living in the parish learn in the West Feliciana Parish Public Schools system. Students attend Bains Lower Elementary School, Bains Elementary School, West Feliciana Middle School, and West Feliciana High School. These schools share a large, modern educational campus in the town of Bains. Some students attend Wilkinson County Christian Academy across the state line in Wilkinson County, Mississippi.

Readers of all ages borrow books and use computers at the West Feliciana Parish Library in St. Francisville. College students can commute nearby to Louisiana State University, Southern University, and Baton Rouge Community College to earn advanced degrees.

Local News and Media

Local news has a long tradition in West Feliciana. In 1892, W. W. Leake and his wife May started a newspaper called "The True Democrat," which later became the St. Francisville Democrat. Today, local stories are shared through the regional newspaper The Advocate. A unique magazine called The Angolite has also been published six times each year inside the parish since 1976.

Famous People

Several notable leaders lived in or represented West Feliciana Parish:

• General Robert Hilliard Barrow, who served as the 27th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
• Cheston Folkes, a long-time member of the Louisiana state legislature.
• John Richard Rarick, an attorney and U.S. Representative who lived in St. Francisville.
• Sheadrick Turner, an African American newspaper editor and state lawmaker who was born in the parish.

Related Pages

In Spanish: Parroquia de West Feliciana para niños

• National Register of Historic Places listings in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
• Rosedown Plantation
• Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway