Town of Lake Providence
Town
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	East Carroll
Area	3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²)
- land	3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%
Center
- coordinates	32°48′19″N 91°10′46″W / 32.80528, -91.17944Coordinates: 32°48′19″N 91°10′46″W / 32.80528, -91.17944
- elevation	105 ft (32 m)
Population	5,104 (2000)
Density	1,418.8 /sq mi (547.8 /km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code	318
Location of Lake Providence in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

The town of Lake Providence is the parish seat of East Carroll Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 5,104 at the 2000 census.

The town is nearly 80 percent African American and heavily Democratic and liberal in political orientation.

Until 1962, no African Americans had been allowed to register to vote in Lake Providence. Then U.S. District Judge Edwin Ford Hunter, Jr., based in Lake Charles, the seat of Calcasieu Parish, personally registered some two dozen African American citizens under a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

Geography

Lake Providence is located at 32°48′19″N, 91°10′46″W (32.805200, -91.179459)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.4 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.

The existing boundaries of the town are the 3rd location of the community. Lake Providence is located adjacent to the Mississippi River and prior to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers building the current levee system, the meandering river would overflow its bank and take valuable lands. It was during these movements that the lake of Lake Providence was created and the town succumbed to the river. Each time the town was taken by the river, the citizens would move.

In the late 1700's as goods like animal pelts, indigo and cotton were transported up and down the Mississippi River by people commonly known as longboat men names after the type of craft that carried the goods. These were eventually replaced by steam boats. Thieves and pirates would raid the boats carrying these products, kill the longboat men and then sell the goods. There is a bend in the river called Bunch's Bend where a famous pirate named Bunch would raid the boats. If the longboat men made it past Bunch's Bend without being robbed, they would say they, "made it to Providence." This is where the trading town of Providence was located. It later became Lake Providence when the town was moved to its current location surrounding a natural oxbow lake.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 5,104 people, 1,707 households, and 1,191 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,418.8 people per square mile (547.4/km²). There were 1,878 housing units at an average density of 522.1/sq mi (201.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 19.61% White, 79.51% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 1,707 households out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.2% were married couples living together, 34.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.49.

In the town the population was spread out with 35.3% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $16,896, and the median income for a family was $20,139. Males had a median income of $19,900 versus $17,135 for females. The per capita income for the town was $8,447. About 42.2% of families and 49.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 67.3% of those under age 18 and 33.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents and former residents

• William J. Jefferson, born in Lake Providence and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Louisiana's 2nd congressional district since 1991.
• Charles D. "C.D." Jones -- member of Louisiana Legislature since 1980.

References

1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• "The Poorest Place in America" article on Lake Providence, Louisiana

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
Parish seat: Lake Providence
Towns	Lake Providence
Unincorporated communities	Transylvania