Eunice, Louisiana

Geobox City
name = City of Eunice
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =
category = City


image_size =
image_caption =


flag_size =
symbol =
symbol_size =
symbol_type =
nickname =
motto =
country = United States
state = Louisiana
region = Acadia
region1 = St. Landry
region_type = Parishes
area_imperial = 4.7
area_land_imperial = 4.7
area_water_imperial = 0.0
area_water_percentage = auto
area_percentage_round = 2
area_round = 1
location =
lat_d = 30
lat_m = 29
lat_s = 37
lat_NS = N
long_d = 92
long_m = 25
long_s = 01
long_EW = W
elevation_imperial = 49
elevation_round = 1
population_as_of = 2000
population = 11499
population_density_imperial = 2459.6
population_density_round = 1
government =
established_type = Chartered (village)
established = September 12 1884
established1_type = Incorporated (town)
established1 = June 4 1895
leader =
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
postal_code = 70535
postal_code_type = ZIP code
area_code = 337
area_code_type =
code2_type =
code2 =
free_type =
free =
free1_type =
free1 =


map_size =
map_caption = Location of Eunice in Louisiana
map_locator = Louisiana
map1 = Map of USA LA.svg
map1_caption = Location of Louisiana in the United States
website = http://www.eunice-la.com

Eunice is a city in Acadia and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 11,499 at the 2000 census.

The St. Landry Parish portion of Eunice is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the Acadia Parish portion is part of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Eunice is located at coor dms|30|29|37|N|92|25|1|W|city (30.493595, -92.416927)GR|1 and has an elevation of convert|49|ft|1GR|3.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.1 km²).None of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 11,499 people, 4,316 households, and 2,986 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,459.6 people per square mile (948.7/km²). There were 4,675 housing units at an average density of 1,000.0/sq mi (385.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.76% White, 29.91% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 4,316 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years, a half year older than the state-wide median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,372, and the median income for a family was $27,173. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $18,912 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,937. About 26.5% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.9% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

One-time lawman and pioneer land developer C.C. Duson is credited with founding Eunice, which was named for his second wife, Eunice Pharr Duson. He and his brother, W.W. Duson, had founded Crowley, Louisiana in 1887, and now he looked to the north of the parish for future development. Duson bought convert|160|acre|km2 of land from Willie Humble of Prairie Faquetaïque and mapped out a town site, laid out in lots 50-by-140 feet, 12 lots to the block. Next, he persuaded the Southern Pacific Railroad to extend a branch line from Crowley to his new town. Then he began what he and his brother had learned how to do as well as anyone: promote land sales. It was charted as a village on September 12, 1894, and incorporated as a town on June 4, 1895. [ [http://www.carencrohighschool.org/LA_Studies/ParishSeries/StLandryParish/Eunice.htm www.carencrohighschool.org 'Eunice named for pioneer developer's wife"] ]

In May 2000 a chemical freight train derailed in Eunice, spilling numerous hazardous chemicals and causing about 15 tank cars to explode and burn; approximately 3,500 residents of the town were evacuated for as many as five days. Over 10,000 residents settled in May 2004 for $65 million with the Union Pacific Corporation in a class action suit, claiming that the corporation had failed to repair a defective section of track. [ [https://classactionamerica.com/public/caseIndex.aspx?lngCaseId=3449&intCategoryID=7 classactionamerica.com "Union Pacific Corporation"] ] [ [http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2004/05/26/42564.htm www.insurancejournal.com "Union Pacific Announces Derailment Settlement"] ]

Education

Eunice is the home of Louisiana State University at Eunice, a community college. LSUE is a campus of the Louisiana State University system.

Eunice is also home to both Eunice High School and St Edmund High School.

Culture

Located in the heart of Cajun country, Eunice is famous for its Cajun music, and in November 1997 the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum was founded there. [ [http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/musicmain.htm www.lsue.edu "Contemporary Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco Musicians"] ] The City of Eunice and the National Park Service sponsor "Laissez les bons temps rouler au rendezvous des cajuns", a live Cajun music show every Saturday night at the Liberty Theatre, an old movie theater that was restored by a "coup de main" by local volunteers after falling into disrepair. [ [http://www.eunice-la.com/libertyschedule.html www.eunice-la.com "The Official Liberty Theater Schedule"] ]

Eunice is home to the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, a unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. [ [http://www.nps.gov/jela/prairie-acadian-cultural-center-eunice.htm www.nps.gov "Prairie Acadian Cultural Center - Eunice"] ]

Eunice is host to one of the largest "Courir de Mardi Gras" (traditional rural French Louisiana Mardi Gras observance, [ [http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/mardmain.htm www.lsue.edu "Mardi Gras in Rural Acadiana"] ] as well as the World Championship Crawfish Étouffée Cook-off.

Famous residents

* Sady Courville, Cajun musician [ [http://www.elderly.com/recordings/items/SWAL-CD3001.htm LA VIEILLE MUSIQUE ACADIEN - Dennis McGee & Sady Courville - Elderly Instruments ] ]
* Geno Delafose, zydeco musician [ [http://www.ritmoartists.com/Geno/delafose.htm Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie - Home Page ] ] [ [http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/delafose.htm] ]
* Mary Alice Fontenot, author of "Clovis the Crawfish" series of books [ [http://www.neworleansshowcase.com/books-children.html] [http://www.amazon.com/dp/088289952X] ] [ [http://www.acadianmuseum.com/Living%20Legends/maryalicefontenot.html] ]
* Danneel Harris, actress
* Carlton Loewer, Major League Baseball pitcher
* Dennis McGee, Cajun musician [ [http://www.cajunculture.com/People/mcgeedennis.htm McGee, Dennis ] ] [ [http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_saa_dennismcgee.html PBS - American Roots Music : The Songs and the Artists - Dennis McGee ] ]
* Pat Mire, filmmaker [ [http://ccet.louisiana.edu/02a_Center_Associates_Bios/mire_pat.html] ]
* Marc Savoy, Cajun accordionist and accordion maker [ [http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/savoy.htm Marc and Ann Savoy ] ]
* Jay Young, television news anchor

ee also

*Music of Louisiana
*List of Notable People Related to Cajun Music

References

External links

* [http://www.eunice-la.com/ City of Eunice]
* [http://eunicechamber.com Eunice Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.eunice-la.com/historic.html#cmhfm Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum page] from Eunice, Louisiana official site
* [http://www.cajunfrenchmusic.org/music/halloffame.htm Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum page] from Cajun French Music Association page
* [http://www.lsue.edu/ Louisiana State University at Eunice]
*http://www.lsue.edu/acadgate/