Napoleonville, is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[2] The population was 660 at the 2010 census.[3] It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the location where the film Because of Winn-Dixie, based on Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Prize-winning novel, was shot. The book was set in (fictional) Naomi, Louisiana.
Napoleonville | |
|---|---|
| Village of Napoleonville | |
 St. Anne Catholic Church off St. Joseph St. | |
 Location of Napoleonville in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. | |
  Napoleonville  Napoleonville | |
| Coordinates: 29°56′16″N 91°01′36″W / 29.93778°N 91.02667°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Parish | Assumption |
| Named for | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ron Animashaun (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| • Land | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 540 |
| • Density | 3,214.29/sq mi (1,237.47/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 70390 |
| Area code | 985 |
History
editAs early as 1807 the community that later became Napoleonville was known as "Canal". This canal extended west from Napoleonville to Lake Verret.[4] The village that later developed was named by a former French soldier who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. The French veteran, Pierre Charlet, is buried in the cemetery of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in the nearby community of Plattenville in Assumption Parish.[5]
The first permanent settlements in this region were made by the French and Spanish (including Isleños) about the middle of the 18th century along Bayou Lafourche, between the present towns of Donaldsonville and Napoleonville. From 1755 to 1785, the population was increased by the immigration of the exiled Acadians who settled in the area, clearing the land and building comfortable homes. The town was officially incorporated on March 11, 1878.[6]
Geography
editNapoleonville is located at 29°56′16″N 91°1′36″W / 29.93778°N 91.02667°W (29.937778, -91.026750).[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), all land.[3]
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 497 | — | |
| 1890 | 723 | 45.5% | |
| 1900 | 945 | 30.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,201 | 27.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,171 | −2.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,180 | 0.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,301 | 10.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,260 | −3.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,148 | −8.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,008 | −12.2% | |
| 1980 | 829 | −17.8% | |
| 1990 | 802 | −3.3% | |
| 2000 | 686 | −14.5% | |
| 2010 | 660 | −3.8% | |
| 2020 | 540 | −18.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84 | 15.56% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 428 | 79.26% |
| Native American | 1 | 0.19% |
| Other/Mixed | 12 | 2.22% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15 | 2.78% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 540 people, 229 households, and 137 families residing in the village.
Notable people
edit- Troy E. Brown, former member of the Louisiana State Senate and native of Napoleonville
- Paul Carmouche, former district attorney for Caddo Parish
- Papa Celestin, jazz bandleader
- Philip H. Gilbert, politician, former lieutenant governor
- Joe Harrison, state representative
- Brandon Jacobs, retired NFL running back
- Samuel A. LeBlanc I, state representative, state court judge, justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1949 to 1954
- Charlie Melançon, former U.S. representative
- Jordan Mills, NFL offensive lineman
- J.C. Politz, sportscaster
- Tramon Williams, NFL cornerback
- Kim Willoughby, Team USA Volleyball (2008 Beijing Olympics)
National Guard
editThe village is home to the 928th Sapper Company, a combat engineer unit of the 769th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard which in turn is headquartered at Baton Rouge. Both of these units belong to the 225th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville near Pineville.
Twin towns
editThe town maintains twinning links with:
Pontivy (Napoléonville in 1804), France since 1989
References
edit- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Napoleonville village, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ www.rootsweb.com "History of Assumption Parish" Archived February 13, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Simone de La Souchere Deléry, Napoleon's Soldiers in America (Pelican Publishing Company, 1950), pp. v, 110-11
- ^ www.lsuagcenter.com "The History of Assumption Parish" Archived October 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.