DeQuincy, Louisiana
Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement DeQuincy is the northernmost city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,235 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> DeQuincy is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area.
History
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DeQuincy was founded in 1897 as a railroad town with the Calcasieu, Vernon & Shreveport Railway Company (CV&S) having been completed and Arthur Stilwell's Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Railway Company (KCS&G), that was owned by the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (KCP&G), completed in 1897.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
On 8 March 1944, two Air Force aircraft from nearby Barksdale Air Force Base collided overhead killing seven people.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
[edit]DeQuincy is located in northern Calcasieu Parish. Louisiana Highways 12 and 27 pass through the center of town: LA 12 leads east Template:Convert to Kinder and southwest Template:Convert to Deweyville, Texas, while LA 27 leads north Template:Convert to DeRidder and south Template:Convert to Sulphur, Template:Convert west of Lake Charles.
According to the United States Census Bureau, DeQuincy has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Census 2010"/>
Demographics
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,368 | 75.32% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 544 | 17.3% |
| Native American | 26 | 0.83% |
| Asian | 8 | 0.25% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 119 | 3.78% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 78 | 2.48% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,144 people, 972 households, and 720 families residing in the city.
Economy
[edit]DeQuincy was founded as a railroad settlement, and the Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific railroads remain principal employers for area citizens.
The timber industry has long been a vital part of the local economy. DeQuincy is home to Temple-Inland's Southwest Louisiana Lumber Operation.
The DeQuincy Industrial Airpark houses facilities for Thermoplastic Services, Recycle Inc., United Oilfield Services, and Paragon Plastic Sheet. In 2002, Calgon Carbon Corporation planned to construct a carbon reactivation plant in the airpark, though those plans have been delayed due to environmental concerns.
Government and infrastructure
[edit]The former Grand Avenue High School was the site of the highest scoring boys high school basketball game on January 29, 1964, when Grand Avenue beat Cameron, Louisiana's Audrey Memorial High School by a score of 211 to 29.<ref name="Grand Avenue H.S. beats Audrey Memorial H.S. 211 to 29 (subscription required to view article more than once)">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="De Quincy, La. high school defeats Cameron, La. high school 211-29">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Grand Avenue HS wins with 211 (under most points scored by one team in one game category)">Template:Cite web</ref>
The United States Postal Service operates the DeQuincy Post Office.<ref>"Post Office Location - DEQUINCY Template:Webarchive." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on October 28, 2010.</ref>
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections formerly operated the C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center in unincorporated Beauregard Parish, about Template:Convert north of DeQuincy.<ref>"C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center Template:Webarchive." Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. Retrieved on October 28, 2010.</ref> The facility closed in November 2012
Education
[edit]Calcasieu Parish Public Schools operates public schools:
- DeQuincy High School
- DeQuincy Middle School
- DeQuincy Elementary School
- DeQuincy Primary School
Subject of multiple hoaxes
[edit]The town has been the subject of numerous hoaxes by satirical writer Paul Horner, widely spread on the Internet. The hoaxes claim the town enacted bizarre legislation such as banning those of Korean descent, issuing handguns to school children, permitting bigamy, banning twerking, and the city being completely eradicated by zombies on bath salts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
DeQuincy Mayor Lawrence Henagan, a Democrat,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was falsely targeted in 2016 by an Internet hoax<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> that he had jailed a volunteer fire chief for thirty days and then dismissed the man after the chief had prayed at the scene of a fire. The story identified the mayor as "Lawana Jones, an African-American atheist" and the fire chief as "39-year-old Ronnie Edwards." Henagan, the chairman of the deacon board at the First Baptist Church of DeQuincy, said that the chief is free to pray while firefighting. Henagan said he would join the fire chief in prayer. Henagan said that he has no knowledge why he was singled out for a fake news article but noted that he could take no legal action because the reports used fictitious names.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
[edit]- Scott Brown, retired major league baseball pitcher.
- Burl Cain, warden of Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1995, formerly resided in DeQuincy.
- Johnny Dowers, actor and musician who has appeared on the TV series GCB and Charmed.
- Tina Girouard, award-winning video and performance artist, was born in DeQuincy.<ref name=Heller>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Hanna Nicole and Ashley Grance from the American duo Ha*Ash, singers
- Smiley Lewis, rhythm and blues musician whose songs have been covered by many artists
- Anthony Pullard, NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks.
References
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External links
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