Ferriday, Louisiana
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Ferriday is a town located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,723.
Ferriday is the site of the Delta Music Museum and the birthplace of three piano-playing cousins, rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, country music star Mickey Gilley and evangelist Jimmy Lee Swaggart, as well as Lewis's piano-playing sister, Linda Gail Lewis. Other Ferriday natives include journalist Howard K. Smith, Hollywood hostess Ann Rokar Warner, trombonist Peewee Whittaker and General Claire Chennault of Flying Tigers fame.
Ferriday is also the birthplace of agribusiness entrepreneur Pete Vegas, who eventually earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1998, when his employer went into bankruptcy, he spun out a subsidiary into his own company in Los Angeles, Sage V Foods (Vegas spelled backwards). Sage V Foods is now one of the largest suppliers of rice flour to American businesses (most non-McDonalds french fries contain Sage V rice flour), and one of the largest suppliers of frozen rice to American consumers.
Ferriday claims to have produced more famous people per square mile than any other small town. This curious fact intrigued author Elaine Dundy (http://elainedundy.com), who wrote an entire book probing the phenomenon while profiling the celebrities and the townsfolk, Ferriday, Louisiana, published by Dutton in 1991.
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Geography
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Location of Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is located at 31°37'50" North, 91°33'24" West (31.630539, -91.556749)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²). 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 3,723 people, 1,350 households, and 918 families residing in the town. The population density is 855.6/km² (2,220.7/mi²). There are 1,498 housing units at an average density of 344.3/km² (893.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 24.09% White, 74.89% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,350 households out of which 34.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% are married couples living together, 33.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% are non-families. 29.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.27.
In the town the population is spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 68.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $14,732, and the median income for a family is $18,636. Males have a median income of $23,654 versus $16,725 for females. The per capita income for the town is $8,767. 47.4% of the population and 40.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 70.2% of those under the age of 18 and 25.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External Link
- Opening of the Delta Museum (http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2002-03-12/setbrk.html) with Swaggart and Gilley, but no Jerry Lee.