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St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

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St. Helena Parish (French: Paroisse de Sainte-Hélène; Spanish: Parroquia de Santa Elena) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, the population was 10,920.[1] Its seat is Greensburg.[2] The parish was created in 1810.[3] St. Helena Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

Saint Helena Parish
Parish
Greensburg Land Office
Greensburg Land Office
Map of Louisiana highlighting Saint Helena Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°49′N 90°43′W / 30.82°N 90.71°W / 30.82; -90.71
Country United States
State Louisiana
Founded1810
Named forSaint Helena
SeatGreensburg
Largest townGreensburg
Area
 • Total
409 sq mi (1,060 km2)
 • Land408 sq mi (1,060 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (3 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
10,920
 • Density27/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts5th, 6th
Websitesthelenaparish.la.gov

History

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The parish is one of the eight Florida Parishes, a region which was once part of colonial West Florida. The area was annexed to the Territory of Orleans in 1810, after the short-lived Republic of West Florida capitulated to the United States.

In 1832, the southern section of the parish was taken to form Livingston Parish and the St. Helena parish seat was redesignated as Greensburg, where it remains today. St. Helena lost another portion of land in 1866, which was subsequently added to land from other parishes to form Tangipahoa Parish.

From 1964 to 1984, St. Helena Parish was represented in the Louisiana State Senate by the Democrat businessman W. E. "Bill" Dykes. In 1983, as a casualty of redistricting, Dykes bowed out of contention in a race which would have pitted him against long-term Senate President Sixty Rayburn of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Rayburn himself lost his senate seat in 1995.[4]

In recent years, St. Helena experienced a series of scandals involving parish officials. In 1997, Sheriff Eugene Holland (October 13, 1954 – December 14, 2010)[5] was found guilty of misuse of government funds and property and using prison inmates for personal labor; he spent time in prison as a result.[6] His replacement, Chaney L. Phillips (born c. 1950), served for only a year as sheriff before he was convicted of fraud and money laundering that he had committed while serving as the parish assessor.[7] He was given an eight-year prison sentence on conviction in 1998 of having placed a political supporter on his assessor office staff; the individual performed no duties. Phillips was assigned to the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colorado.[8] He was released on May 23, 2003.[9]

Ronald "Gun" Ficklin, former mayor of Greensburg, took over the sheriff's office from Phillips in 1998, but on February 5, 2007, Ficklin himself pleaded guilty on multiple counts involving his role in operating "chop shops" — reselling stolen automobiles and parts — using state prisoners to staff these activities and as a pit crew for his race car.[10][11] Ficklin died of cancer while in prison (October 21, 2011).[12]

In 2007, Nat Williams was elected as Ficklin's replacement, the first African American to hold the office in that parish.[13]

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 409 square miles (1,060 km2), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.3%) is water.[14] It is located in the northern tier of the Florida Parishes, and within the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

Major highways

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Adjacent parishes and counties

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Communities

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Town

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Village

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Unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18203,026—
18304,02833.1%
18403,525−12.5%
18504,56129.4%
18607,13056.3%
18705,423−23.9%
18807,50438.4%
18908,0627.4%
19008,4795.2%
19109,1728.2%
19208,427−8.1%
19308,4920.8%
19409,54212.4%
19509,013−5.5%
19609,1621.7%
19709,9378.5%
19809,827−1.1%
19909,8740.5%
200010,5256.6%
201011,2036.4%
202010,920−2.5%
US Decennial Census[15]
1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17]
1990-2000[18] 2010[19]
St. Helena Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[20] Pop 2010[21] Pop 2020[22] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 4,859 4,999 4,494 46.17% 44.62% 41.15%
Black or African American alone (NH) 5,480 5,964 5,846 52.07% 53.24% 53.53%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 10 34 38 0.10% 0.30% 0.35%
Asian alone (NH) 10 9 19 0.10% 0.08% 0.17%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1 0 4 0.01% 0.00% 0.04%
Other race alone (NH) 3 21 23 0.03% 0.19% 0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 58 77 280 0.55% 0.69% 2.56%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 104 99 216 0.99% 0.88% 1.98%
Total 10,525 11,203 10,920 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

At the 2010 United States census, there were 11,203 people living in the parish, and at the 2000 U.S. census, there were 10,525 people. The 2019 American Community Survey estimated 10,297 people lived in the parish. The 2020 census tabulated a total of 10,920 residents. In 2019, there were 3,857 households, down from 3,873 at the 2000 census.[23]

The racial and ethnic makeup at the 2019 census-estimates was 52.5% Black and African American, 45.7% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% some other race, and 0.2% multiracial; Hispanics and Latin Americans of any race made up 1.8% of the total population. In 2010, the racial and ethnic makeup was 53.3% Black and African American, 44.9% White American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.5% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races; 0.9% were Hispanic and Latin American of any race.

Of the 3,857 households at the 2019 census-estimates, 78.7% were aged 18 and older, 5.4% aged 5 and under, and 18.9% aged 65 and older.[23] The median age was 39.4, up from 35 at the 2000 census.

The parish had an employment rate of 45.9%, and the population was spread throughout 5,330 housing units. An estimated 78.9% of the population owned their housing units. The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $100,100, and the median gross rent was $656. The median income for a household in the parish was $43,886; males had a median income of $52,398 versus $31,003 for females. An estimated 24.3% of the parish population lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.

Education

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The Elementary and High School in St. Helena Parish are part of the St. Helena Parish School System. The Middle School in St. Helena Parish is part of the Recovery School District of Louisiana.[citation needed] It is in the service area of Baton Rouge Community College.[24]

Brushy Creek Crater

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St. Helena Parish contains the only identified meteorite impact crater in the state of Louisiana. This suspected impact crater is a roughly circular depression about 1.2 miles/2 km in diameter. Shocked quartz and intensely fractured quartz have been recovered from fractured and possibly altered sediments comprising its rim. Its age is estimated to be between 11 and 30 ka.[25] It lies about 5.8 miles/9.3 kilometers southwest of Greensburg, in the southwest corner of the parish. Louisiana Highway 37 cuts through the northern edge of this feature.[25][26][27]

Politics

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United States presidential election results for St. Helena Parish, Louisiana[28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 2,804 48.81% 2,848 49.57% 93 1.62%
2020 2,714 44.07% 3,346 54.34% 98 1.59%
2016 2,497 41.87% 3,353 56.22% 114 1.91%
2012 2,529 39.55% 3,780 59.12% 85 1.33%
2008 2,522 40.78% 3,567 57.68% 95 1.54%
2004 2,235 40.58% 3,173 57.61% 100 1.82%
2000 1,965 37.40% 3,059 58.22% 230 4.38%
1996 1,455 25.95% 3,692 65.83% 461 8.22%
1992 1,515 26.97% 3,416 60.80% 687 12.23%
1988 2,006 38.93% 3,013 58.47% 134 2.60%
1984 2,366 43.53% 2,956 54.39% 113 2.08%
1980 1,531 31.55% 3,183 65.60% 138 2.84%
1976 1,046 27.61% 2,622 69.22% 120 3.17%
1972 1,446 52.00% 943 33.91% 392 14.10%
1968 219 6.50% 1,351 40.09% 1,800 53.41%
1964 1,319 65.14% 706 34.86% 0 0.00%
1960 296 16.36% 678 37.48% 835 46.16%
1956 545 32.27% 997 59.03% 147 8.70%
1952 586 39.57% 895 60.43% 0 0.00%
1948 59 4.95% 469 39.38% 663 55.67%
1944 108 13.65% 683 86.35% 0 0.00%
1940 80 7.36% 1,007 92.64% 0 0.00%
1936 102 7.84% 1,199 92.16% 0 0.00%
1932 26 2.63% 962 97.37% 0 0.00%
1928 145 19.23% 609 80.77% 0 0.00%
1924 18 8.87% 185 91.13% 0 0.00%
1920 36 8.96% 366 91.04% 0 0.00%
1916 9 2.69% 319 95.51% 6 1.80%
1912 13 5.39% 214 88.80% 14 5.81%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "QuickFacts: St. Helena Parish, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau.
  2. ^ "Saint Helena Parish/homepage". Saint Helena Parish. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "St. Helena Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  4. ^ Ed Anderson (March 5, 2008). "Longtime State Senator BB 'Sixty' Rayburn dead at 91". Times-Picayune. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "Eugene Holland Obituary". The Advocate. December 16, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Jush Auzenne (December 15, 2010). "Former St. Helena Sheriff passes away". WAFB9/Baton Rouge. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "USA v. Chaney L Phillips". Federal Reporter (3rd series). July 13, 2000. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "ES&S, Diebold lobbyists". bbvforums.org. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  9. ^ "Chaney L. Phillips". bop.gov. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  10. ^ Brown, Penny (February 5, 2007). "St. Helena sheriff pleads guilty to role in illegal chop shop". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
  11. ^ "Sheriff pleads guilty in chop shop case". Associated Press (via Yahoo! News). February 6, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007. [dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Former Sheriff "Gun" Ficklin dies in prison". WAFB9 News/Baton Rouge. October 21, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sheriff Williams". Sheriff's Office, Saint Helena Parish. June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  15. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  17. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  19. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  20. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – St. Helena Parish, Louisianas". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Helena Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  22. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Helena Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  23. ^ a b "Geography Profile: St. Helena Parish, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  24. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Heinrich, P.V. (2003) Possible Meteorite Impact Crater in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. Search and Discovery Article. no. 50006. American Association of Petroleum Geologist, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  26. ^ Heinrich, P.V. (2003) Origin of a Circular Depression and Associated Fractured and Shocked Quartz, St. Helena Parish, LA. Transactions of the Gulf Association of Geological Societies. vol. 53, pp. 313-322.
  27. ^ LGS Researcher Featured in Meteor Crater News Story. Archived March 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Center for Energy Studies, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  28. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
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30°49′N 90°43′W / 30.82°N 90.71°W / 30.82; -90.71

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