Simmesport, Louisiana
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Simmesport is a town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Simmesport had a population of 1,468. It is the northernmost town on the Atchafalaya River, located near the Old River which connects the Red and Atchafalaya rivers with the Mississippi River.
History
The town was founded by Bennet Barton Simmes (1811–1888), one-time owner of White Hall Plantation, which was located on the opposite bank of the Atchafalaya River.
In December 2005 industrialist Frank Stronach founded a new community just south of Simmesport along the Atchafalaya River levee, known as Canadaville, a place intended to house people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Canadaville, Louisiana is no longer a community and was considered to be a failure by many. The site of the community is still there but many of the homes and structures have been moved. Many inhabitants of Canadaville now reside within the town and throughout the area.
Geography
Simmesport is located in eastern Avoyelles Parish on the west bank of the Atchafalaya River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2), or 7.93%, is water.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 638 | — | |
| 1940 | 1,215 | 90.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,510 | 24.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,125 | 40.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,027 | −4.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,293 | 13.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,092 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 2,239 | 7.0% | |
| 2010 | 2,161 | −3.5% | |
| 2020 | 1,468 | −32.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census |
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 528 | 35.97% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 858 | 58.45% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.54% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.34% |
| Other/Mixed | 49 | 3.33% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20 | 1.36% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,468 people, 627 households, and 379 families residing in the town.
Notable people
- Norma McCorvey, a.k.a. "Jane Roe", the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, was born in Simmesport in 1947.
- Joe Simon, the soul musician, was born in Simmesport in 1943.
External links
- , LaCoastPost.com, July 6, 2009