Jena, Louisiana
Jena /ˈdʒiːnə/ is a large town in and the parish seat of La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] The population was 3,398 at the 2010 census.
In September 2006, Jena became the focus of national news stories in the United States for a racial controversy involving its school system and a group of students known as the Jena Six.[2]
History
Jena was named for Jena, Germany, where French Emperor Napoleon I won the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in 1806. The town in Louisiana was founded exactly one hundred years later.[citation needed]
Geography
Jena is located at 31°41′24″N 92°7′29″W / 31.69000°N 92.12472°W (31.689993, -92.124781)[3] and has an elevation of 167 feet (50.9 m).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km2), all land.
Surrounding communities
- Midway
- Trout
- Nebo
- Webb Quarters
- Summerville
- Good Pine
- Possum Point
- Belah
- Fellowship
- White Sulphur Springs
- Mackerel
- Rogers
- Searcy
- Whitehall
- Rhinehart
- Sharptown
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 689 | — | |
| 1920 | 620 | −10.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,007 | 62.4% | |
| 1940 | 946 | −6.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,438 | 52.0% | |
| 1960 | 2,098 | 45.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,431 | 15.9% | |
| 1980 | 4,375 | 80.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,626 | −40.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,971 | 13.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,398 | 14.4% | |
| 2015 (est.) | 3,417 | [5] | 0.6% |
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 2,971 people, 1,135 households, and 749 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.7 people per square mile (213.2/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 235.2 per square mile (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.56% White, 12.02% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.
There were 1,135 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were 21 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $18,317 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,761. About 9.9% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
 |
- Ace Hardware opened a new 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m2) store in downtown Jena
- Dollar General has re-located to a larger facility across from McDonald's
- Private prison operator GEO Group runs the $30 million LaSalle Detention Center, formerly the Wackenhut Corrections Facility, to house detainees for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement[8]
- Walmart has built a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) Supercenter on U.S. Route 84 West
Education
The La Salle Parish School Board is located in Jena.
The following schools serve Jena:
- Jena High School, 9–12 (Jena)
- Jena Junior High School, 6,7, & 8 (Jena)
- Goodpine Middle School, 3,4, & 5 (Trout/Goodpine)
- Jena Elementary School, PreK - 2 (Jena)
- Fellowship Elementary School, Pre-K-8 (Belah)
- Nebo Elementary School, PreK-8 (Nebo)
- Temple Christian Academy, Private PreK-8 (Jena)
Infrastructure
Hospital Service District #2 of LaSalle Parish, also known as LaSalle General Hospital, is a 60-bed medical facility, with a 24-hour Emergency Department, a home health, a 101 bed nursing home, and physical therapy. The hospital is currently undertaking a $4 million expansion project.[9]
Notable people
- U. T. Downs, public safety commissioner in Shreveport, 1954 to 1962; educator and coach in Jena in 1930s[10]
- Woodie Flowers, MIT professor and co-founder of FIRST.
- Mike Francis, prominent businessman and former Louisiana Republican state chairman, was born in Jena.
- Jason Hatcher, NFL player and member of the Washington Redskins.
- Jay F. Honeycutt, former director of the Kennedy Space Center.
- Speedy O. Long (1928–2006), a member of the popular Long political dynasty.
- Thomas D. "Tommy" Wright, former state representative from Jena
Lula V. Coleman, first female deputy sheriff in Louisiana in 1918, appointed by Governor Parker as Jena's mayor in 1920
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Amy Waldman (January 2008). "The Truth About Jena". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities/facilities/jenadla.htm
- ^ Home
- ^ Minden, Louisiana, Herald, July 30, 1948
External links
- Official Town of Jena Website
- LaSalle General Hospital
- LaSalle Parish School Board
- Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge
Municipalities and communities of LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent parish or parishes | |