Abbeville, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The small city of Abbeville is the parish seat of Vermilion Parish, in the US state of Louisiana, 150 miles (241 km) southwest of New Orleans. In 1890, 637 people lived here; in 1900, 1.536; in 1910, 2,907; and in 1940, Abbeville was the home of 6,672 occupants.

Abbeville, is in the heart of “Cajun Country” and as such, is home to many restaurants which specialize in the taste of the region.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Festivals
5 Education
6 Transportation
7 Notable Restaurants
8 Large Food Distributors
9 Films
10 Notable Residents
11 References
12 External links

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History

The land that was to become Abbeville was purchased by founded Father A. D. Megret, Capuchin missionary, on July 25, 1843 for $900. There were two people living on the land at that time, Joseph LeBlanc and his wife Isabelle Broussard, whose former home Father Megret converted into a chapel. The chapel burned in 1854 and St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church now stands at the same location. Father Megret modeled his original plan for the village after a French Provincial village. In a map he made in 1846, the town was 38 to 40 acres in size. It was bounded on the north by St. Victor Boulevard, on the south by Lafayette Boulevard, on the east by "the sisters of Charity," and on the west by Bayou Vermilion. At this point in time the town was called “Abbville”. It is not clear exactly when or why the transition to "Abbeville" took place. At the center of downtown is Magdalen Square, which is a beautiful town square accented by huge oak trees, a fountain, and gazebo. Today, a statue stands in Magdalen Square in memorial to Father Megret.

Modern Abbeville is a trade center for agricultural products, especially rice, and seafood. It also provides services for the important oil and natural gas fields of the Gulf of Mexico.

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Geography

Abbeville is located at 29°58'21" North, 92°7'45" West (29.972489, -92.129056)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.7 km² (5.7 mi²). 14.6 km² (5.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.53% water.

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Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 11,887 people, 4,499 households, and 3,014 families residing in the city. The population density is 812.3/km² (2,104.3/mi²). There are 5,125 housing units at an average density of 350.2/km² (907.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 54.29% White, 38.56% African American, 0.19% Native American, 5.50% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,499 households out of which 32.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% are married couples living together, 21.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% are non-families. 28.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.60 and the average family size is 3.23.

In the city the population is spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $19,714, and the median income for a family is $21,400. Males have a median income of $27,766 versus $16,073 for females. The per capita income for the city is $11,680. 37.7% of the population and 33.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 53.8% of those under the age of 18 and 23.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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Festivals

Daylily Festival and Garden Show
Giant Omelette Celebration
Les Lumieres du Village d'Abbeville
Louisiana Cattle Festival
Vermilion Carousel of Arts

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Education

Louisiana Technical College - Gulf Area Campus

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Transportation

Abbeville is served by U.S. Highway 167. Abbeville Municipal Airport lies just ouside of town. Abbeville is linked with the Gulf of Mexico by the Freshwater Bayou Deepwater Channel.

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