Slidell, Louisiana
|
|
Slidell is a city in St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. It is situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 25,695.
| Contents |
Geography
LAMap-doton-Slidell.png
Location of Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is located at 30°16'45" North, 89°46'40" West (30.279040, -89.777744)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²). 30.5 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.64% water.
History
In 1882, the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad began construction on a new railroad connecting New Orleans to Cincinnati, Ohio through Meridian, Mississippi. One of the building camps on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain continued to expand well after the completion of the railroad, and was eventually chartered as a city by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1888.
Though he supposedly never set foot in the town, Slidell takes its name from John Slidell, Confederate revolutionary, major figure in the Trent Affair, and father-in-law to Baron Erlanger, head of the banking syndicate which financed the railroad. Col. Leon Fremeaux drew up the original plans for the city, naming the largest street for Erlanger and a smaller for himself. Ironically, Fremeaux Avenue is now a major artery, far overshadowing Erlanger Avenue.
Around 1910, Slidell began a period of economic and industrial growth. A large creosote plant was built, and Slidell became a major producer of bricks. A lumber mill and shipyard were also built. With the coming of Interstates 10 and 12, Slidell found itself at a major crossroads, becoming a popular overnight stop for travelers who did not want to stay in New Orleans.
With the advent of the U.S. space program the 1960s, the New Orleans area became a hotbed of activity. The opening of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, the Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and a NASA computer center on Gause Blvd. nearly tripled Slidell's population over a period of ten years, as Slidell found itself becoming a major suburb.
Slidell hosts several parading krewes each Carnival season, and is the westernmost outpost of the moon pie as a significant Mardi Gras throw.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 25,695 people, 9,480 households, and 7,157 families residing in the city. The population density is 841.5/km² (2,178.5/mi²). There are 10,133 housing units at an average density of 331.8/km² (859.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 83.13% White, 13.56% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,480 households out of which 36.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% are married couples living together, 14.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% are non-families. 20.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,856, and the median income for a family is $48,298. Males have a median income of $40,211 versus $26,050 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,947. 11.8% of the population and 9.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Amtrak's Crescent train connects Slidell with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 1827 Front Street.
Famous people from Slidell
- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown: World-famous multi-instrumentalist and Grammy Award winner
- Tony Canzoneri: World boxing champion
- Chacko George: teen "Jeopardy!" champion
- Rocky Thompson: Major political figure
External links
- The City of Slidell's official web site (http://www.slidell.la.us)
- St. Petersburg Times Travel article (http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/15/Travel/The_anti_New_Orleans.shtml)