Welsh, Louisiana
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Welsh is a town in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. The population was 3,226 at the time of the 2010 census. It is part of the Jennings Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
[edit]Welsh was originally a homestead owned by Miles Welsh, a Pennsylvania man who went to Louisiana to seek a warmer climate for his health. He died in 1868, but his son Henry built a cabin on the current-day town site.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The home sat along the main stagecoach route across south Louisiana, and Welsh's home and store was the primary stop for travelers between New Iberia and Texas. In 1880, Welsh donated right-of-way to the Louisiana Western Rail Road (later Southern Pacific), which built a station.<ref name=":0" /> The town of Welsh was platted in 1880<ref name=":0" /> and incorporated on March 15, 1888,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with Henry Welsh elected its first mayor a few months before his death that October. Initially part of the old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, in 1913 Welsh became part of the newly established Jefferson Davis Parish.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]Welsh is located at Template:Coord (30.237419, -92.820593).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 kmTemplate:Sup), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 kmTemplate:Sup) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 kmTemplate:Sup) (1.89%) is water.
Demographics
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,429 | 72.88% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 661 | 19.83% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 8 | 0.24% |
| Other/Mixed | 168 | 5.04% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 63 | 1.89% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,333 people, 1,128 households, and 765 families residing in the town.
Notable people
[edit]- Canray Fontenot (1922–1995), Creole fiddler
- Lance Guidry (born 1971), American football coach, former defensive coordinator for the University of Miami
- Phillip Walker (1937–2010), electric blues guitarist and singer
- Charles Mann, swamp pop legend and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
- Milton Vanicor (master fiddler/musician) Inducted in the Cajun French Music Hall of Fame in 2006
Education
[edit]Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates public schools in Welsh. Schools serving Welsh include Welsh Elementary School (PK–5) in Welsh, Welsh - Roanoke Jr. High (6–8) in nearby Roanoke, and Welsh High School (9–12) in Welsh.
Jefferson Davis Parish Library operates the McBurney Memorial Branch at 301 South Sarah Street.
See also
[edit]- AeroLites: based in Welsh