Welsh, Louisiana

Coordinates: 30°14′15″N 92°49′44″W / 30.23750°N 92.82889°W / 30.23750; -92.82889
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Welsh, Louisiana
Town
Pink house with large gables and a porch.
The historic Calkins-Orvis House.
Location of Welsh in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Welsh in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°14′15″N 92°49′44″W / 30.23750°N 92.82889°W / 30.23750; -92.82889
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishJefferson Davis
FoundedMarch 15, 1888
Government
 • MayorKarl Arceneaux (elected 2020)
Area
 • Total6.44 sq mi (16.69 km2)
 • Land6.32 sq mi (16.38 km2)
 • Water0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2)
Elevation
23 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,333
 • Density527.21/sq mi (203.54/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70591[2]
Area code337
FIPS code22-80430
Websitehttp://www.townofwelsh.com/

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 former plantation overseer and Confederate States Army soldier Henry Welsh in the late 1800s.[3] In 1881, Welsh donated right-of-way and a section house to the Southern Pacific Railroad on the condition that trains stop in the town.[3] The town of Welsh was platted in 1880[3] and incorporated on March 15, 1888,[4] when Henry Welsh was elected the first mayor. Initially part of the Old Imperial Calcasieu Parish, in 1913 Welsh became part of the newly established Jefferson Davis Parish.

Geography[edit]

Welsh is located at 30°14′15″N 92°49′14″W / 30.23750°N 92.82056°W / 30.23750; -92.82056 (30.237419, -92.820593).[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km2), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km2) (1.89%) is water.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890200
190032060.0%
19101,250290.6%
19201,45616.5%
19301,5144.0%
19401,82220.3%
19502,41632.6%
19603,33237.9%
19703,203−3.9%
19803,5159.7%
19903,299−6.1%
20003,3802.5%
20103,226−4.6%
20203,3333.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
Welsh racial composition as of 2020[7]
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]

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]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Welsh LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Bradshaw, Jim (June 2004). "Welsh was way station in stage coach days". USGenWeb.
  4. ^ "Welcome".
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.