Editing Livonia, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                        = Livonia, Louisiana
| official_name               = Town of Livonia
| settlement_type             = Town
| image_skyline               = 
| imagesize                   = 
| image_caption               = 
| image_map                   = File:Pointe Coupee Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Livonia Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                     = 
| map_caption                 = Location of Livonia in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1                  = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1                    = 
| map_caption1                = Location of Louisiana in the United States
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type            = Country
| subdivision_name            = United States
| subdivision_type1           = State
| subdivision_name1           = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2           = Parish
| subdivision_name2           = [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana|Pointe Coupee]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title           = Founded
| established_date            = 
| founder                     = 
| named_for                   = 
| government_footnotes        = 
| government_type             = 
| governing_body              = 
| leader_title                = Mayor
| leader_name                 =  
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                   = Imperial
| area_footnotes              = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2              = 4.90
| area_total_sq_mi            = 1.89
| area_land_km2               = 4.90
| area_land_sq_mi             = 1.89
| area_water_km2              = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi            = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of            = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes        = 
| population_total            = 1212
| population_density_km2      = 247.11
| population_density_sq_mi    = 639.92
| population_demonym          = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                    = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset                  = -6
| timezone_DST                = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST              = -5
| elevation_footnotes         = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft                = 26
| coordinates                 = {{coord|30|33|44|N|91|33|00|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes       = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type            = ZIP code
| postal_code                 = 70755
| area_code                   = [[Area code 225|225]]
| blank_name                  = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank_info                  = 2406031<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406031}}</ref>
| blank1_name                 = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank1_info                 = 22-44690
| website                     = {{URL|http://www.livoniala.net/}}
| footnotes                   = 
}}

'''Livonia''' (pronounced Le Vone ya) is a town in [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana|Pointe Coupee Parish]], [[Louisiana]], United States. The population was 1,442 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], up from 1,339 in [[2000 United States Census|2000]]. It is part of the [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]] [[Baton Rouge metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==
===Early history===
The area of present-day Livonia has been occupied by several [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] tribes, including [[Chitimacha]], Houma, [[Tunica-Biloxi]], [[Attakapas]], and [[Coushatta]] and the site of the [[Platform mound|conical]] [[Livonia Mound]]. With a base of 165 feet and nearly 31 (30.7) feet tall, is the tallest of 10 remaining [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] burial [[Tumulus|mounds]] in Pointe Coupee Parish. Dated to the [[Coles Creek culture|Coles Creek archaeological culture]] (400AD-1100AD) period,<ref>[https://www.angelfire.com/la3/livoniamound/ archaeological dating]- Retrieved May 29, 2014</ref> the mound sits between [[Louisiana Highway 77|La 77]] and [[Louisiana Highway 78|La 78]], 150 feet from [[Bayou Grosse Tête]]. A second low-rise unnamed mound (destroyed by the mid-1900s) is located 200 feet southeast and a third was reportedly south of these on the water's edge.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140530044109/http://www.margaretmedia.com/documents/PtCoupeeChap1.pdf Livonia mound]- p. 2-3; Retrieved May 29, 2014</ref>

===Colonial history===
{{main|New France|Expulsion of the Acadians|Louisiana Purchase}}
France ruled the Livonia area as part of Louisiana from 1699 to 1763, when the area was ceded to [[Spain]]. Spain controlled the area until 1800 when [[Napoleon]] took control of Louisiana for France. Some French Canadians migrated to Louisiana earlier, but the majority came between 1755 and 1764 after being [[Expulsion of the Acadians|expelled]] from [[Acadia]]. Some of the French culture remains in Livonia, as shown by the [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana#Demographics|2000 census]] that revealed 5.6% of the parish spoke [[French language|French]], [[Cajun French]], or [[Louisiana Creole French]]. The land was sold to the United States in 1803 as part of the [[Louisiana Purchase]].

===Foundation===
The Post office opened 1846<ref>[http://webpmt.usps.gov/pmt011.cfm?stat_state_name=LOUISIANA  Livonia Post Office]- Retrieved May 31, 2014</ref> and was named by first postmaster James B. Johnson for his native [[Livonia, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="Naming of Livonia Post Office">[http://pointecoupeetour.tripod.com/brochure.html Naming of Livonia Post Office]- Retrieved May 31, 2014</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=questioned as Livonia, PA was only settled ~1810.|date=January 2015}}

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.8|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1960= 430
|1970= 611
|1980= 980
|1990= 970
|2000= 1339
|2010= 1442
|2020= 1212
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Livonia racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2244690&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 28, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 996
| 82.18%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 120
| 9.9%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 2
| 0.17%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 52
| 4.29%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 42
| 3.47%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,212 people, 572 households, and 323 families residing in the town.

==Education==
===School===
*[[Livonia High School (Louisiana)|Livonia High School]]

==Culture==
The town is host to the annual Livonia [[Lions Clubs International|Lions Club]] Mardi Gras parade which is held the weekend before [[Mardi Gras]] Day.

Probably one of Livonia's most famous international tourists was [[Edward VIII]], the Duke of Windsor, who arrived by train following the Mardi Gras celebration in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]] in 1950.<ref>Lockhart, John M. "Did You Know?", ''[http://www.riversidereader.com The Riverside Reader]'', January 14, 2008, p. 1</ref>

==Notable resident==

[[Rick Ward, III]], former District 17 [[Louisiana State Senate|State Senator]] was born in Livonia.

==See also==
* [[Mound Builders]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Towns in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Baton Rouge metropolitan area]]