Houma (/ˈhoʊmə/ HOH-mə)[2] is the largest city in and the parish seat of[3] Terrebonne Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is also the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. The city's government was absorbed by the parish in 1984, which currently operates as the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government.[4][5]
Houma, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| City of Houma | |
 Former City Hall, now Le Petit Theatre | |
 Location of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. | |
  Houma Location in Louisiana  Houma Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 29°35′15″N 90°42′58″W / 29.58750°N 90.71611°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Terrebonne |
| Founded | 1834 |
| Incorporated | 1848 |
| Reincorporated | 1898 |
| Named for | Houma people |
| Parish seat | Terrebonne |
| Principal city | Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area |
| Region | Acadiana South Louisiana |
| Government | |
| • Type | Government |
| • Body | Consolidated City-Parish |
| • Parish President | Jason W. Bergeron (since 2024) |
| Area | |
• City | 14.60 sq mi (37.80 km2) |
| • Land | 14.47 sq mi (37.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 33,406 |
| • Density | 2,309.12/sq mi (891.55/km2) |
| • Metro | 208,178 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70360, 70363-64 |
| Area code | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-36255 |
| Website | www |
The population was 33,727 at the 2010 census, an increase of 1,334 over the 2000 census tabulation of 32,393.[6] In 2020, the population estimates program determined 32,467 people lived in the city.[7] At the 2020 census, its population rebounded to 33,406.[8] Many unincorporated areas are adjacent to the city of Houma. The largest, Bayou Cane, is an urbanized area commonly referred to by locals as being part of Houma, but it is not included in the city's census counts, and is a separate census-designated place. If the populations of the urbanized census-designated places were included with that of the city of Houma, the total would exceed 60,000 residents.
Etymology
editThe city was named after the historic Native American tribe of Houma people, believed to be related to the Choctaw. The United Houma Nation is recognized by the state of Louisiana, but it has not achieved federal recognition.[9]
History
editSettled by the Chitimacha and then the Houma Indians prior to European colonization, Houma was soon named for the Houma Indians who were at Ouiski Point. Land claimed for the Houma Indians by the Spanish was not recognized by the United States after the Louisiana Purchase.
Present-day Houma was formed in 1832; the city was incorporated in 1848.[10] The area was developed for sugar cane plantations in the antebellum years. Plantations were sited along the rivers and bayous in order to have access to water transportation.
Reconstruction to present
editSugar cane continued to be important after the war and into the 20th century.
On January 24, 1970, an accidental gas explosion killed three people and caused extensive damage downtown. Latour's Jewelry Store was destroyed.[11][12]
In 1984, the city and parish consolidated their governments.[5] In 2008 Bill Ellzey, a columnist at Houma Today, wrote that area residents were often unaware of the Houma city boundaries as the city and parish governments had consolidated.[13]
In late August 2021 Houma was struck by the intense eye-wall of category 4 Hurricane Ida causing widespread damage.[14]
Geography
editHouma is located at 29°35′15″N 90°42′58″W / 29.58750°N 90.71611°W (29.587614, -90.716108) and has an elevation of 10 feet (3.0 m) above sea level.[15][16] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 square miles (37 km2), of which 14.0 square miles (36 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.92%) is water.
Climate
editThe climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild, sometimes warm winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Houma has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Houma, Louisiana | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
100 (38) |
96 (36) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
68 (20) |
74 (23) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
91 (33) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
81 (27) |
73 (23) |
67 (19) |
80 (27) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
57 (14) |
63 (17) |
69 (21) |
75 (24) |
80 (27) |
81 (27) |
81 (27) |
78 (26) |
69 (21) |
61 (16) |
56 (13) |
69 (21) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
59 (15) |
64 (18) |
70 (21) |
72 (22) |
72 (22) |
69 (21) |
58 (14) |
50 (10) |
46 (8) |
59 (15) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
5 (−15) |
25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
58 (14) |
56 (13) |
43 (6) |
30 (−1) |
21 (−6) |
15 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.1 (100) |
4.3 (110) |
4.4 (110) |
4.2 (110) |
4.2 (110) |
6.2 (160) |
8.5 (220) |
7.2 (180) |
6.3 (160) |
3.9 (99) |
3.8 (97) |
4.8 (120) |
61.9 (1,576) |
| Source: [17] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 429 | — | |
| 1870 | 593 | 38.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,084 | 82.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,280 | 18.1% | |
| 1900 | 3,212 | 150.9% | |
| 1910 | 5,024 | 56.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,160 | 2.7% | |
| 1930 | 6,531 | 26.6% | |
| 1940 | 9,052 | 38.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,505 | 27.1% | |
| 1960 | 22,561 | 96.1% | |
| 1970 | 30,922 | 37.1% | |
| 1980 | 32,602 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 30,495 | −6.5% | |
| 2000 | 32,393 | 6.2% | |
| 2010 | 33,727 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 33,406 | −1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 19,456 | 58.24% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 8,065 | 24.14% |
| Native American | 1,428 | 4.27% |
| Asian | 472 | 1.41% |
| Pacific Islander | 12 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,537 | 4.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,436 | 7.29% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 33,406 people, 12,612 households, and 7,970 families residing in the city.
According to the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.1% non-Hispanic white, 23.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian alone, 0.1% some other race, 3.9% two or more races, and 4.3% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[20] At the 2010 census, the racial make up of the city was 67.46% White American, 20.62% Black or African American, 5.45% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.71% Asian, 0.12% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races; Hispanics and Latin Americans of any race were 5.76% of the population.
In 2019, the median age was 36.8. Of the population aged 18 and older, they made 75.9% of the demographic; 8.1% of the population were aged 5 and under; 14.6% were aged 65 and older. The median income for a household at the 2019 American Community Survey was $42,949 and 23.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.
Education
editTerrebonne Parish School District operates the city and parish public schools. Houma is home to Louisiana's second-oldest high school, Terrebonne High School.[21][22] South Terrebonne High School was founded in 1961. H.L. Bourgeois High School, Ellender Memorial High School and Vandebilt Catholic High School are also in Terrebonne Parish. Southdown High School (originally Houma Colored High School) was constructed in the mid-20th century as a segregated school for black students, serving them exclusively from 1946 to 1969.[23] After that the school was integrated as a result of 1964 civil rights legislation.
Culture
editHouma and the surrounding communities are steeped in the French, Native, Cajun, African and Creole history of the region. Originally the region was colonized by French and Spanish who made their way south through Bayou Lafourche. In the late 18th century, numerous Acadians (later known as Cajuns) settled in the region. The Acadians had been expelled by the British from Nova Scotia during the Seven Years' War for their unwillingness to take a loyalty oath to the British King. The number expelled was about 15,000 in number, of which 3,000 eventually settled in this region. Others went to France. As the French, Spanish, Acadians and Native American people mixed over the decades, a unique Cajun culture was born.
The swampland around Houma resulted in the area being quite isolated from the rest of Louisiana and the United States well into the 1930. Outside influences such as radio and concomitant popular culture failed to penetrate Cajun culture, so Cajun culture and the use of French language in this region persevered much longer than in cities on the border of Cajun country, such as Lake Charles or Baton Rouge. Traditional Cajun culture in Houma includes the French language, Cajun cuisine, and celebration of Catholic festivals such as Mardi Gras. That folk culture remains evident today and attracts many tourists to the region.[24]
In the 1970s, many South Vietnamese refugees emigrated following the reunification of Vietnam. They settled in Southern Louisiana to work as shrimpers, just as they had in Vietnam. A fairly significant portion of them settled in New Orleans, and many settled in Houma as well, in addition to elsewhere along the Gulf Coast. Many ethnic Vietnamese families still work at shrimping, as their families have for several decades.[25]
Downtown Houma has been designated as an historic district and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It offers a downtown walking tour and attractions such as the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Folklife Culture Center, the Regional Military Museum, Southdown Plantation, the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, monuments to local armed forces, and local eateries.[26]
Although Houma is quickly changing, many residents in the surrounding communities continue to make their living from the Gulf as their ancestors did. They harvest shrimp, oyster, crab, fish, and engage in trapping, although more have shifted to work in occupations of the oil industry and shipbuilding. According to the United States Government Patent and Trademark Office, Houma, Louisiana was the site of the deepest oil well in Terrebonne Parish.[citation needed]
Tab Benoit's Voice of the Wetlands Music Festival, established in 2005, takes place in Houma, annually in October.[27]
Media
editThe local newspaper is The Courier, founded in 1878 as Le Courrier de Houma by the French-born Lafayette Bernard Filhucan Bazet. He first published it in four-page, half-French half-English editions. Sold to The New York Times Company in 1980, it is now part of GateHouse Media.[28]
The Houma Times is located in Houma. The newspaper is a weekly publication with a website updated daily. It serves the Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. Mary parishes. In 2014, Houma-based Rushing Media merged with Guidry Group, Inc., which had owned the publication since its inception in 1997.[29]
The area's only local broadcast TV station, KFOL-CD, is located in Houma. KFOL, also known as HTV, produces a weeknight newscast, followed by local phone calls and guests. Other shows include Sportsman's Paradise and One on One. KFOL broadcasts in digital on channel 30.1. The statewide TV network LCN-TV produces original Louisiana programming which showcases Louisiana's entertainment, culture, talent and industry. LCN-TV is delivered to all media distributors. Debuted in 2007, LCN-TV continues to produce Louisiana TV shows for the U.S.[citation needed]
The following radio stations are located in the Houma-Thibodaux metropolitan area:
Transportation
editHouma is served by Houma-Terrebonne Airport, located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the central business district.[30]
Good Earth Transit is Houma's parish bus system.[31] It has five major routes and serves the surrounding suburban areas, including the small bayou communities and the city of Thibodaux.[32]
Houma relies mainly on roads and personal vehicles as the main form of transportation. The major roads in Houma are:
- US Route 90 (Future I-49)
- LA HWY 311
- Tunnel Boulevard (LA 3040)
- LA 24 (locally called West Park Avenue (westbound) and Main Street (eastbound))
- LA 182 (New Orleans Boulevard)
- South and North Hollywood Road
- St. Louis Canal Road
- Savanne Road
- Valhi Boulevard
Notable people
edit- George Arceneaux, U.S. District Court judge from 1979 until his death in office in 1993
- Tab Benoit, blues musician and co-star of the IMAX movie feature Hurricane on the Bayou
- Sherman A. Bernard, Louisiana insurance commissioner from 1972 to 1988, graduated from Terrebonne High School in Houma
- Elward Thomas Brady, Jr., state representative from Terrebonne Parish from 1972 to 1976; businessman
- Wanda Brister, operatic mezzo-soprano, presently on the faculty at Florida State University
- Joe Burks, professional athlete
- Leonard J. Chabert, member of both houses of Louisiana State Legislature from Terrebonne Parish; namesake of Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma
- Marty J. Chabert, former state senator from Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes
- Norby Chabert, current Republican member of Louisiana State Senate from Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes
- Richie Cunningham, professional athlete[33]
- Allen J. Ellender (1890–1972), former president pro tempore and Democratic U.S. Senator
- Anthony Freeman, Catholic writer and religious
- Shane Gibson (musician), guitarist for Korn
- Skyler Green, gridiron football wide receiver and return specialist[34]
- Johnny Hartman (1923–1983), jazz singer
- Hal Haydel, professional athlete[35]
- Cyril and Libbye Hellier, operatic sopranos
- Brandon Jacobs, NFL running back
- Frank Lewis, professional athlete[36]
- Morris Lottinger, Jr., former state representative and retired circuit court judge from Houma
- Morris Lottinger, Sr., state representative from 1936 to 1950, House Speaker from 1948 to 1950, and state circuit court judge until retirement in 1965
- Jesse Marcel, lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force who helped administer Operation Crossroads
- Elijah McGuire, NFL running back for the New York Jets
- Jay Pennison, professional athlete[37]
- Audie Pitre, bassist for Acid Bath, killed in a head-on collision in 1997.
- Lloyd Pye, ancient astronauts proponent[38]
- Dax Riggs, frontman for Acid Bath, Deadboy and the Elephantmen, Agents of Oblivion, others
- Maason Smith, National Football League (NFL) athlete
- Chloe Suazo, actress
- Quvenzhané Wallis, young film actress (Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012)
- J. Louis Watkins, Jr., judge of Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal from 1979 to 1997; former attorney in Houma[39]
- Justin Williams (baseball), MLB Outfielder
- Jaylin Lucas, American football running back for the Florida State Seminoles
- Tramon Williams, professional athlete[40]
Twin towns
edit
Cambrai, Nord, Hauts-de-France, France
Datça, Muğla Province, Turkey
Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada- In June 2012, Terrebonne Parish signed a letter of intent to become a sister city with Weihai, China, for economic development purposes.[41]
In popular culture
edit- Houma and the surrounding area are the setting for the Swamp Thing series of comic books.
- V. C. Andrews' novel Ruby (1994) is also set here.
- The Suicide Squad is based at Belle Reve in Houma.
- The 1999 films Crazy in Alabama and A Lesson Before Dying were filmed partially in Houma.
- The film The Skeleton Key (2005) is set in Houma and the nearby area of Bayou Gauche.[42]
- Several scenes from the 2013 film, The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, were filmed in downtown Houma.[43]
- In 1992, Unsolved Mysteries profiled the case of Adam John "AJ" Breaux, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, who went missing in 1991.
- The Hulu TV series, The Act included a scene in Houma of a young Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Dee Dee Blanchard.
- The 2022 film Where the Crawdads Sing was filmed in and around Houma.
References
edit- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English (Addenda); Webster's New Geographical Dictionary (1984).
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Welcome to TPCG". www.tpcg.org. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Terrebonne government celebrates a milestone". Houma Today. Retrieved August 12, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Houma (city), Louisiana". quickfacts.census.gov. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2010-2020". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ "QuickFacts: Houma city, Louisiana".
- ^ "Archived copy". www.crt.la.gov. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Parish History". www.tpcg.org. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Three men killed in gas explosion". Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Wisconsin. January 26, 1970. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Survivors recall 1970 blast that rocked Houma". Houma Daily Courier. January 24, 2010.
- ^ "Where do city limits start, stop?". Houma Today. June 22, 2008. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ^ "WATCH: Houma littered with damage after Ida". KLFY. August 29, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Monthly Averages for Houma, LA". weatherbase.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ "2019 Demographic and Housing Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Writer, MIKA EDWARDS Staff. "Terrebonne's oldest high school graduates more than 300". Houma Today. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "HISTORY". ths-tpsd-la.schoolloop.com. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Dishman, Jaime Lugibihl (June 26, 2005). "Students of former Southdown High School gather for remembrance". Houma Today. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ The Cajuns by Shane K. Bernard
- ^ Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
- ^ "Houma, Louisiana" Archived 2017-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, Trip Advisor
- ^ Festival Archived 2017-02-25 at the Wayback Machine, Voice of the Wetlands website; accessed 25 February 2017
- ^ "About the Courier" Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine, The Courier online edition (September 30. 2004); retrieved October 19, 2007.
- ^ "Rushing Media buys T-PT, Gumbo Entertainment Guide | News". Houmatimes.com. August 26, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "Houma-Terrebonne Airport & Industrial Park | Airport Description". Houma-airport.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ "Public Transit". Tpcg.org. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ "Bus Schedule/Routes". Tpcg.org. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ^ "Richie Cunningham profile". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Skyler Green". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Hal Haydel profile at". Baseball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Frank Douglas Lewis". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Jay Leslie Pennison". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Article 404 - Houma Today - Houma, LA". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "Watkins to Watrous". Politicalgraveyard.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Tramon Williams". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "Terrebonne parish establishes sister city with China". HoumaToday.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
- ^ "The Skeleton Key (2005) : Filming Locations". IMDb.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "Some scenes from The Butler shot in Houma, Louisiana" Archived 2013-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Comet, 15 August 2013; accessed August 21, 2014.
Bibliography
- Cobb, Thomas Blum and Currie, Mara (2004) Houma. Arcadia Publishing ISBN 978-0-7385-1631-8
External links
edit
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata
- Terrebonne Parish-Houma Consolidated Government
- Houma Today (website of The Courier newspaper)