Welsh, Louisiana
History
Welsh was originally a homestead owned by former plantation overseer and Confederate States Army soldier Henry Welsh in the late 1800s. In 1881, Welsh donated right-of-way and a section house to the Southern Pacific Railroad on the condition that trains stop in the town. The town of Welsh was platted in 1880 and incorporated on March 15, 1888, when Henry Welsh was elected the first mayor. Initially part of the Old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, in 1913 Welsh became part of the newly established Jefferson Davis Parish.
Geography
Welsh is located at 30°14′15″N 92°49′14″W / 30.23750°N 92.82056°W (30.237419, -92.820593).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km) (1.89%) is water.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 200 | — | |
| 1900 | 320 | 60.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,250 | 290.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,456 | 16.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,514 | 4.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,822 | 20.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,416 | 32.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,332 | 37.9% | |
| 1970 | 3,203 | −3.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,515 | 9.7% | |
| 1990 | 3,299 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,380 | 2.5% | |
| 2010 | 3,226 | −4.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,333 | 3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,429 | 72.88% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 661 | 19.83% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 8 | 0.24% |
| Other/Mixed | 168 | 5.04% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 63 | 1.89% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,333 people, 1,128 households, and 765 families residing in the town.
Notable people
- Canray Fontenot (1922–1995), Creole fiddler
- Lance Guidry (born 1971), American football coach, current defensive coordinator and the University of Miami
- Phillip Walker (1937–2010), electric blues guitarist and singer
- Charles Mann, swamp pop legend and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
- Milton Vanicor (master fiddler/musician) Inducted in the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame in 2006
Education
Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates public schools in Welsh. Schools serving Welsh include Welsh Elementary School (PK–5) in Welsh, Welsh - Roanoke Jr. High (6–8) in nearby Roanoke, and Welsh High School (9–12) in Welsh.
Jefferson Davis Parish Library operates the McBurney Memorial Branch at 301 South Sarah Street.
See also
- AeroLites: based in Welsh
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Welsh LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Bradshaw, Jim (June 2004). "Welsh was way station in stage coach days". USGenWeb.
- ^ "Welcome".
- ^ "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 29, 2021.
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| Footnotes | +This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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