Mamou, Louisiana

Last updated

Mamou, Louisiana
Town
Evangeline Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Mamou Highlighted.svg
Location of Mamou in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.
Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°38′03″N92°25′08″W / 30.63417°N 92.41889°W / 30.63417; -92.41889
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
Parish Evangeline
Founded by C.C. Duson
Government
 • MayorLeisa Deshotel [1] [2]
 • Police ChiefPat Hall
Area
[3]
 • Total
1.41 sq mi (3.65 km2)
 • Land1.41 sq mi (3.65 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
62 ft (19 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,936
 • Density2,083.75/sq mi (804.36/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70554 [4]
Area code 337
FIPS code 22-48085
Website mamou.municipalimpact.com

Mamou is a town in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,242 at the 2010 census, [5] down from 3,566 in 2000.

Contents

Geography

Mamou is located in south-central Evangeline Parish at 30°38′3″N92°25′8″W / 30.63417°N 92.41889°W / 30.63417; -92.41889 (30.634033, −92.418913). [6] Louisiana Highway 13 follows the western border of the town, leading north 3 miles (5 km) to Reddell and south 10 miles (16 km) to Eunice. Ville Platte, the parish seat, is 12 miles (19 km) to the northeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mamou has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), all land. [5]

History

Many stories exist regarding the origin of the name "Mamou". One may have been the legendary Indian, Chief Mamou.[ citation needed ] It is certain that this vast prairie was known as "Mamou Prairie" as far back as the 18th century and that Anglo-Americans first called it "Mammouth Prairie" because of its immense size. When the French came, they called it "Mamou" for mammoth. [7] "Mamou" is also a family name found in France. [8]

Within this vast stretch of prairie, the town site of Mamou was platted in 1907 by Curley C. Duson of Eunice. He was president of the Mamou Town Site Company which opened an office on the corner of Seventh and Chestnut. Lot auctions were held weekly and lots were sold for $50. The original village covered one square mile. On January 11, 1911, Mamou was incorporated. [7]

Cotton was the major crop for many years on the prairie. By 1915, the village boasted four cotton gins producing thousands of bales of cotton; however, the decline in the demand for cotton led local farmers toward the growing of rice that is now the major crop of the area. [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920 649—
1930 80023.3%
1940 1,37972.4%
1950 2,25463.5%
1960 2,92829.9%
1970 3,27511.9%
1980 3,194−2.5%
1990 3,4839.0%
2000 3,5662.4%
2010 3,242−9.1%
2020 2,936−9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
Mamou racial composition as of 2020 [10]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)1,39647.55%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)1,32345.06%
Native American 10.03%
Asian 150.51%
Other/Mixed 1515.14%
Hispanic or Latino 501.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,936 people, 1,128 households, and 615 families residing in the town.

Education

Public schools in Evangeline Parish are operated by the Evangeline Parish School Board. Three campuses serve the town of Mamou – Mamou Elementary School (Grades PK–4), Mamou Upper Elementary (Grades 5–8), and Mamou High School (Grades 9–12). Mamou Upper Elementary and Mamou High School are located on the same campus.

Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou, 2006 Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou.jpg
Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou, 2006

Culture

Mamou is located at the heart of Louisiana's Cajun country. The town is famous for its music and musicians, and bills itself as "The Cajun Music Capital of the World". [11] Consequently, Mamou figures into a number of song titles (such as "'Tit Galop Pour Mamou," "Valse de Grand Mamou," "Mamou Two-Step," and "Mamou Hot Step") and lyrics such as "Somewhere Over China" by Jimmy Buffett, as well as band names (such as Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys). Mamou is also home of the world-famous Fred's Lounge, which features live Cajun music every Saturday morning. [11] [12] Each year the town holds a Courir de Mardi Gras.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermilion Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

Vermilion Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, created in 1844. The parish seat is Abbeville. Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, and located in southern Acadiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,359.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Landry Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

St. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 82,540. The parish seat is Opelousas. The parish was established in 1807.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

Jefferson Davis Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,250. The parish seat is Jennings. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern Louisiana and forms a part of the Acadiana region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangeline Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

Evangeline Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,350. The parish seat is Ville Platte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

Avoyelles is a parish located in central eastern Louisiana on the Red River where it effectively becomes the Atchafalaya River and meets the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,693. The parish seat is Marksville. The parish was created in 1807, with the name deriving from the French name for the historic Avoyel people, one of the local Indian tribes at the time of European encounter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acadia Parish, Louisiana</span> Parish in Louisiana, United States

Acadia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 57,576. The parish seat and the most populous municipality is Crowley. The parish was founded from parts of St. Landry Parish in 1886, and later an election was held to determine the parish seat, ending when Crowley beat Rayne and Prairie Hayes. Acadia Parish is included in the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Point, Louisiana</span> Town in Louisiana, United States

Church Point is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,560 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area. Church Point is known as the Buggy Capital of the World as it used to be host to the annual Buggy Festival which has since gone defunct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iota, Louisiana</span> Town in Louisiana, United States

Iota is a town in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The population was 1,304 in 2020. Iota is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottonport, Louisiana</span> Town in Louisiana, United States

Cottonport is a town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,006 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chataignier, Louisiana</span> Village in Louisiana, United States

Chataignier is a village in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Prairie, Louisiana</span> Village in Louisiana, United States

Pine Prairie is a village in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,610 at the 2010 census, up from 1,087 in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ville Platte, Louisiana</span> City in Louisiana, United States

Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,303 at the 2020 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat town", in reference to its relatively flat topography in contrast to the more hilly terrain north of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Coteau, Louisiana</span> Town in Louisiana

Grand Coteau is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 947 at the 2010 census. Grand Coteau is on Interstate 49 south of Opelousas and is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area. The town is a center for local farming. As of 2018, the mayor is Patrick Richard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basile, Louisiana</span> Town in Louisiana, United States

Basile is a town in Acadia and Evangeline parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 1,214 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eunice, Louisiana</span> City in Louisiana, United States

Eunice is a city in Acadia and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The 2010 census placed the population at 10,398, a decrease of 1,101, or 9.5 percent, from the 2000 tabulation of 11,499.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys</span>

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys are an American Cajun band from southern Louisiana. The band formed in 1988 and has since recorded 10 albums, nine of which are on Rounder Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Highway 13</span> State highway in Louisiana, United States

Louisiana Highway 13 (LA 13) is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs 64.02 miles (103.03 km) in a north–south direction from LA 14 west of Kaplan to US 167 in Turkey Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courir de Mardi Gras</span> Cajun Mardi Gras celebration

The Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras event held in many Cajun and Creole communities of French Louisiana on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Courir de Mardi Gras is Louisiana French for "Fat Tuesday Run". This rural Mardi Gras celebration is based on early begging rituals, similar to those still celebrated by mummers, wassailers, and celebrants of Halloween. As Mardi Gras is the celebration of the final day before Lent, celebrants drink and eat heavily, dressing in specialized costumes, ostensibly to protect their identities. In Acadiana, popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, drinking alcohol, begging, trail riding, feasting, and whipping. Mardi Gras is one of the few occasions when people are allowed to publicly wear masks in Louisiana. Dance for a Chicken: The Cajun Mardi Gras, a documentary by filmmaker Pat Mire, provides insight into the history and evolution of this cultural tradition. In popular culture, two HBO series also make reference to the tradition.

The Evangeline Parish School Board (EPSB) or Evangeline Parish School District is an entity responsible for the operation of public schools in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is headquartered in the city of Ville Platte. The current Superintendent is Rev. Darwin Lazard, minister at Ninth Baptist Church in Ville Platte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Highway 104</span> State highway in Louisiana, United States

Louisiana Highway 104 is a state highway located in southwestern Louisiana. It runs 41.4 miles (66.6 km) in a west–east direction from LA 26 southeast of Oberlin to U.S. Highway 190 in Opelousas. Along the way, it passes through the town of Mamou and intersects various north–south routes that service points along US 190 such as Elton, Basile, and Eunice. East of Mamou, connections are also made to Ville Platte, the St. Landry Parish seat, on US 167/LA 10.

References

  1. ↑ Mayor Ricky Fontenot is listed among the state and local officials who have endorsed the reelection in 2014 of Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.
  2. ↑ "Landrieu's GOP Endorsements Pale in Comparison to 2008 Election". thehayride.com. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Mamou LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Mamou town, Louisiana". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. 1 2 mamou.htm
  8. 1 2 neworleansproduction.com Archived March 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  11. 1 2 lsue.edu Archived November 9, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ fredsociety.com Archived June 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Randy (July 23, 2020). "Keith Sonnier, Playful Sculptor in Neon, Dies at 78". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 14, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.