Gonzales, Louisiana
Gonzales, Louisiana | ||
---|---|---|
ZIP code 70737 | ||
Area code | 225 | |
FIPS code | 22-29850 | |
Website | www |
Gonzales is a city in
History
Early European settlers of the area that was developed as Gonzales were, for the most part, of
Among the projects and plans carried out by
By 1851, the small European settlement still had only ten residents. A school was established in 1855 by Adlard Gautreaux for the European-American children in the area. By 1886, the settlement had grown, and the citizens of the community elected "Big" José Gonzáles as their
Construction of the railroad to the village stimulated the growth of Gonzales. When the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company (LR&N) constructed its rail line through the area, the local post office was already named Gonzales. The rail company executives wanted to name their station Edenborn, after the company's owner, Willam Edenborn. The company also wanted to move the station north of the area to New River, Louisiana, then called Belle Hellene. After local residents filed protests with the Louisiana Railroad Commission, the railroad company was ordered to leave the station at Gonzales. The LR&N still tried to change the name to Edenborn. But the residents continued to protest and persuaded the Louisiana Legislature to pass a law requiring railroad companies to name their railroad stations the same as the local post offices.
Gonzales was laid out and subdivided in 1906.
Governor
Following the growth of industrial corporations in the area, the town was chartered by the state legislature as a city in 1977.
Gonzales became better known in 2005, after the widespread destruction caused by
Geography
Gonzales is located at 30°13′38″N 90°55′11″W / 30.22722°N 90.91972°W (30.227128, -90.919771).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km2), of which 8.4 square miles (21.7 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 1.27%, is water.[7]
Climate
Gonzales has a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. The area is subject to potential severe weather year-round, with snowfall being rare for the city. Hurricanes also pose a threat to the area due to its proximity to the coastline of southeast Louisiana. In September 2008, Hurricane Gustav brought 80+ mph winds to the area with gusts over 100 mph.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 462 | — | |
1940 | 857 | 85.5% | |
1950 | 1,642 | 91.6% | |
1960 | 3,252 | 98.1% | |
1970 | 4,512 | 38.7% | |
1980 | 7,287 | 61.5% | |
1990 | 7,003 | −3.9% | |
2000 | 8,156 | 16.5% | |
2010 | 9,781 | 19.9% | |
2020 | 12,231 | 25.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[8] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
4,432 | 36.24% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
5,730 | 46.85% |
Native American
|
33 | 0.27% |
Asian
|
101 | 0.83% |
Pacific Islander
|
4 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed
|
353 | 2.89% |
Latino
|
1,578 | 12.9% |
In 2000, there were 8,156 people, 2,966 households, and 2,156 families residing in the city.[10] The population density was 974.2 inhabitants per square mile (376.1/km2). There were 3,332 housing units at an average density of 398.0 per square mile (153.7/km2). As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,231 people, 4,159 households, and 2,807 families residing in the city.
At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the city was 65.40%
In 2000, there were 2,966 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $43,117 in 2000. Males had a median income of $38,731 versus $22,168 for females. The
Government
The city is governed by a
Legislative delegation
District 59 State Representative Tony Bacala of Ascension Parish is a retired law enforcement officer,State Senator Eddie Lambert a family law attorney who represents Ascension, Livingston, St. James, and St. John the Baptist
State Representative
National Guard
Gonzales is home to the 922nd engineer vertical construction company, which is part of the 528th engineer battalion, 225th engineer brigade. 922nd EVCC plays a pivotal role in providing humanitarian relief during natural disasters within the United States, along with remaining ready to deploy anywhere in the world as they are needed.
Notable people
- Alicia Morton, actress
- Cleo Moore, actress
- Glenn Dorsey, NFL player
- Robert Hillary King, born here as Robert King Wilkerson, grew up in New Orleans. He was one of the Angola Three, surviving decades of incarceration in solitary confinement. His 1973 conviction of murder was overturned, and he was released in 2001, the first of the three men to gain freedom.
Sister cities
Gonzales has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:
- Meylan, France
See also
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Gonzales city, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ "Jambalaya Festival". Jambalaya Festival Association. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ Cazorla, Frank (2019) The governor Louis de Unzaga (1717-1793) Pioneer in the Birth of the United States of America and in Liberalism. Foundation Malaga, pages 48-56, 64-72, 83
- ISBN 9780807147405. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Gonzales city, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Census release shows America is more diverse and more multiracial than ever | CNN Politics". CNN. August 12, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "America is becoming more urban, more diverse and less white, 2020 Census reveals". PBS NewsHour. August 12, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "2021 ACS Income Estimates". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Edward J. Price". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- ^ "Randal L. Gaines". intelius.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.