fbpx
Wikipedia

Tallulah, Louisiana

Tallulah (/təˈllə/ tə-LOO-lə) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States.[5] As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,286,[4] down from 7,335 in 2010.

Tallulah, Louisiana
City
Tallulah municipal building
Location in Madison Parish, Louisiana
Tallulah
Tallulah
Coordinates: 32°24′31″N 91°11′12″W / 32.40861°N 91.18667°W / 32.40861; -91.18667
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishMadison
Government
 • MayorCharles Finlayson[1]
 • City Council
City Council
Area
 • Total2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2)
 • Land2.78 sq mi (7.21 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
85 ft (26 m)
Population
 • Total6,286
 • Density2,258.71/sq mi (872.07/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
71282, 71284
FIPS code22-74690
Websitecityoftallulah.org
Brushy Bayou in Tallulah
Part of downtown Tallulah

As this was historically a center of agriculture since the antebellum years, producing cotton and pecans, Tallulah and the parish have long had majority-African American populations. The small city is now nearly 77 percent African American; the surrounding parish is 60 percent black. Mechanization and industrial agriculture have reduced the number of jobs, and many residents have moved since the mid-20th century to larger cities with more opportunities.

Tallulah is the principal city of the Tallulah Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Madison Parish. The Madison Parish Sheriff's office operates the Steve Hoyle Rehabilitation Center in Tallulah.

History edit

This area was developed in the antebellum years by European Americans for cotton plantations. They brought in thousands of enslaved African Americans to produce and process the crops. Major planters grew wealthy from their labor at a time when the market for cotton was strong.

Post-Civil War to 1942 edit

After the American Civil War, many freedmen from the plantations stayed in the parish, often working as sharecroppers. In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants settled in Louisiana, most in New Orleans but some in outlying parishes such as Madison. Some served as migrant workers on cotton or sugar cane plantations, in the north or south of the state, respectively. The immigrants were primarily from Sicily. Starting as farm workers, some banded together to establish small stores, such as groceries in parish seats and other trading towns.

By 1899, five Sicilians were doing a good business in Tallulah, with four small stores devoted to fruit, vegetables and poultry. All but one of the men were relatives. Whites attacked the Sicilians because of economic competition.[6] They had also been criticized for failing to comply with Jim Crow rules: if they had black customers waiting, they made new white customers wait their turn rather than giving the whites preference, as was the custom.[7] On July 20, 1899, a mob of white residents of Tallulah lynched the five Sicilians from Cefalù. Two other Italians who lived in nearby Milliken's Bend fled the area for their safety. The Italians were still citizens (nationals) of Italy, and their government protested strongly to the United States government about each lynching murder. The US government said that the states had to prosecute such killings.[7] As was typical in this period of frequent lynchings of black US citizens, none of the white lynch mob was prosecuted.[6]

The city developed through the early 20th century and had a growing population, as people came in from rural areas to work in the lumber mills and timber processing. Because it was the center of a major agricultural area, Tallulah became the site of the Louisiana Delta Fair, held annually in October through the first half of the 20th century. It featured exhibits from Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes. Later in the century, the fair was phased out.[8]

Shirley Field, also known as Scott Field, was reportedly the first airport in Louisiana; it was built in 1922 near Tallulah.[9][10] Dr. B.R. Coad, head of the Agricultural Experiment Laboratory, developed a process and equipment for crop dusting from airplanes, in order to combat the devastating boll weevil infestation of cotton crops. The USDA bought a Huff-Daland plane for this purpose in 1924.[10] Hundreds of flights took off from the Tallulah Airport as this process was developed, and fields on both sides of the Mississippi were treated. Delta Air Lines had its origins from Delta Dusters, the company developed here to produce and operate crop dusting from airplanes.[10] Shirley Field and the original airport building still stand near Tallulah, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[9]

The parish seat also attracted Jewish immigrants. Based on the success of their drugstore, in 1927 merchant brothers Mertie M. and Abe Bloom built the first enclosed shopping mall, Bloom's Arcade, in the United States in Tallulah. It was built by A. Hays Town in the style of European city arcades.[11] The building had a central hall, with stores located on either side, much like the ones today. The hall opened into the street on both ends. This landmark is still in Tallulah, located along what is now U.S. Route 80. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). As of late 2013, it had been restored to its original architectural character and was adapted as an apartment complex.[12]

Later in 1927, the downtown was flooded during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Many downtown stores were flooded by several feet of water. It took time for the town to recover.

World War II to present edit

After serving in World War II, African-American veterans began to challenge racial discrimination in the South more vigorously. After the Supreme Court ruled in Smith v. Allwright (1944) that the white primary of the Democratic Party was unconstitutional, more blacks began to register in the South. However, in Louisiana, the number of white qualified voters in 1947 still surpassed blacks by a ratio of 100 to one.[13]

The population increased in Tallulah in the decades after the war, reaching a high in 1980 (see tables below). African Americans were the majority population in the city and the parish. Having faced continuing discrimination in efforts to vote, in 1962 a group of eight African-American men successfully sued the parish registrar and state to be able to register and vote. Following passage of the national Civil Rights Act in 1964, in 1965, activists conducted boycotts to end discrimination in employment; many stores would not hire blacks as workers. Seventeen businesses closed in the city rather than hire blacks.[14][15]

That year, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, authorizing the federal government to oversee voter registration and elections in jurisdictions such as Tallulah and Madison Parish with historic under-representation of minorities. The proportion of African-American voting began to increase.

In 1969, Zelma Wyche, a local veteran and activist, was elected as Police Chief of Tallulah, the first African American to hold the office. He ensured there were an equal number of white and black police officers on the force and had them patrol in mixed teams.[15]

In 1971, black candidates were running for 21 of 27 parish seats in Madison Parish, a sign of the changing times. In other parts of Louisiana, African Americans were also running for local offices.[16]

In 1974, Adell Williams was elected as mayor of Tallulah, the first African American to hold the office. He is believed to have been the first black mayor elected in Louisiana since Reconstruction.[17]

The city had its peak of population in 1980. The mechanization of agriculture and the decline of some former industries have reduced the number of local jobs, with population following. It used to be considered a lumber mill town, with the Chicago Mill and Lumber dominating local industry from its site on the west side of the city.[18] After declines from the 1970s, the mill closed in 1983, adding to local economic problems.[17]

Unlike some other areas of the state, only four antebellum structures remain in the parish, because of destruction by General Ulysses S. Grant's forces during the Vicksburg Campaign in the Civil War. One is a one-story 1855 plantation house, known as Hermione, from the Kell Plantation. It was used by Grant as a Union hospital.[19]

After being donated to the Madison Historical Society in 1997, Hermione was moved to its current site on North Mulberry Street in Tallulah. It was adapted to serve both as offices for the society and as the Hermione Museum, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[19] Among its exhibits is one about Madam C. J. Walker, the first African-American woman to become a self-made businesswoman and millionaire.[20]

Born free soon after the war as Sarah Breedlove in nearby Delta, Louisiana, she moved north as a young woman, where she developed a line of hair-care products that she manufactured and sold nationally. The museum is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.[20]

On April 24, 2010, an EF4 tornado touched down just outside Tallulah, causing numerous injuries. The tornado damaged a tanker in a chemical plant, causing a small nitrogen leak. Significant damage to an industrial plant with associated injuries, trapped people, and destroyed homes nearby were reported in Madison Parish near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line. The tornado continued across the Mississippi River. It gained strength and struck Yazoo, Holmes, and Choctaw counties in Mississippi, causing 10 fatalities and extensive destruction.[21][22]

Seviers of Tallulah edit

Tallulah and Madison Parish have been led and represented politically by numerous members of the prominent Sevier family, who were longtime planters. They are descended from John Sevier, a veteran of the American Revolution, and his wife. Later they were pioneers in what is now Tennessee, and Sevier was elected as the first governor of Tennessee. He was the namesake for the city of Sevierville, Tennessee.[23]

George Washington Sevier Sr. (1858–1925) was elected as a member of the Madison Parish Police Jury. He served as the parish tax assessor from 1891 to 1916.[23] Except for the years 1887–90, there has been at least one member of the Sevier family in public office for the 122 years preceding 2005. The family's power was maintained primarily in the decades-long period when Democratic Party whites dominated voting, and Louisiana was virtually a one-party state. From its passage of a new constitution in 1898, the state legislature worked to disenfranchise African Americans, who were then mostly members of the Republican Party. They were systematically disenfranchised and nearly excluded from the political system until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-20th century.

Under these conditions, Andrew Leonard Sevier Sr. was repeatedly re-elected as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, serving from 1932 until his death in 1962. His widow, the former Irene Newman Jordan, was appointed to serve the rest of his term. Andrew Jackson Sevier Jr. served as sheriff of Madison Parish from 1904 until his death in office in 1941. He was succeeded for the rest of his term by his widow, Mary Louise Day Sevier. A cousin of the Seviers, Henry Clay Sevier, was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936 to 1952.[23]

James D. Sevier Sr. and his son, also named James, held the office of tax assessor for more than four decades. SSG James D Sevier III (Doug)served in the US Army and Louisiana Army National Guard from 2020-2022. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, The Steel Order of the de Fleury Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Louisiana War Cross and many other awards and citations during his service which includes 2 combat deployments to Afghanistan (2004-2005, 2011-2012) and Iraq/Syria (2021). Doug was also a liaison for the Louisiana National Guard in Hohenfels Germany(2010) and served many vital roles during disaster relief in Louisiana (Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike). Mason Spencer, husband of Rosa Sevier Spencer, represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana House from 1924 to 1936. He planned to run for governor of Louisiana in 1935 but withdrew his candidacy after the assassination of former governor Huey Pierce Long Jr.; Richard Leche of New Orleans, of the Long faction, won the office.[23]

Among the political leaders from this family were William Putnam "Buck" Sevier Jr., a banker. He first served three terms as an elected town alderman in Tallulah. He was elected as mayor of the city in 1946 and served for nearly 30 years, from 1947 to 1974. His tenure included some of the volatile years of the civil rights movement, when African Americans sought changes to the Jim Crow system and justice as citizens. Sevier led white residents in adapting to change as more African-American citizens began to register, vote and be elected to local offices. Sevier at the time of his death held the record, at more than forty-four years, as the longest-serving publicly elected official in Louisiana.[23]

Detention and correction facilities edit

In November 1994, the state opened the privately operated Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth on the western edge of the city. Residents hoped it would provide jobs for local people and aid the local economy, but there were soon problems associated with management of the facility, and the jobs there were low paying. In addition to problems within the facility, the prison seemed to have an adverse effect on the city. In 1999, the state took over operating the facility, renaming it the Swanson Correctional Center for Youth/Madison Parish Unit, but there continued to be problems with the treatment of youth.[17]

A coalition of townspeople began to work on ideas for different uses for the land. The state decided to close the facility, and the coalition proposed an educational center instead. They gained legislative approval in one year, so when the juvenile prison was closed in 2004, there were plans developed for an educational center on the site. A bill for the Northeast Delta Learning Center was signed by Governor Kathleen Blanco in July 2004. Issues remaining were getting funding for it and offsetting a proposal to use the facility as an adult prison.[17] Despite the desire of the townspeople, the facility was converted to house adult prisoners.[18] It is known as the Madison Parish Louisiana Transitional Center for Women (LCTW), houses 535 inmates, and is operated by LaSalle Corrections, a private company.[24]

Other related facilities in Tallulah, as it is the parish seat, are the Madison Parish Detention Center, with 264 inmates, and the Madison Parish Correctional Center, with 334 inmates. These are also operated by LaSalle Corrections.[25]

Geography edit

Tallulah is in east-central Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana. It is in the valley of the Mississippi River, 7 miles (11 km) southwest of the river itself. It is bordered to the south by the village of Richmond.

U.S. Routes 65 and U.S. Route 80 cross in the center of Tallulah. US 65 leads north 28 miles (45 km) to Lake Providence and south 26 miles (42 km) to Newellton, while US 80 leads west 19 miles (31 km) to Delhi and east 22 miles (35 km) to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Interstate 20 crosses the southernmost part of Tallulah, with access from Exit 171 (US 65). I-20 leads east to Vicksburg and west 56 miles (90 km) to Monroe.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tallulah has a total area of 2.78 square miles (7.2 km2), all of it recorded as land.[3] Brushy Bayou passes through the center of town.

Climate edit

Climate data for Tallulah, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1907–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 84
(29)
85
(29)
93
(34)
95
(35)
99
(37)
104
(40)
104
(40)
106
(41)
105
(41)
95
(35)
90
(32)
87
(31)
106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.6
(15.3)
63.9
(17.7)
71.5
(21.9)
79.1
(26.2)
86.0
(30.0)
91.6
(33.1)
94.2
(34.6)
94.8
(34.9)
90.2
(32.3)
81.3
(27.4)
69.9
(21.1)
61.9
(16.6)
78.7
(25.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 49.0
(9.4)
52.4
(11.3)
59.9
(15.5)
67.5
(19.7)
75.4
(24.1)
81.6
(27.6)
84.0
(28.9)
84.0
(28.9)
78.9
(26.1)
68.8
(20.4)
57.9
(14.4)
51.1
(10.6)
67.5
(19.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 38.4
(3.6)
41.0
(5.0)
48.4
(9.1)
56.0
(13.3)
64.8
(18.2)
71.5
(21.9)
73.8
(23.2)
73.3
(22.9)
67.6
(19.8)
56.3
(13.5)
46.0
(7.8)
40.3
(4.6)
56.4
(13.6)
Record low °F (°C) −8
(−22)
−12
(−24)
11
(−12)
28
(−2)
37
(3)
47
(8)
54
(12)
52
(11)
34
(1)
21
(−6)
15
(−9)
4
(−16)
−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.63
(143)
5.54
(141)
5.34
(136)
6.65
(169)
4.49
(114)
3.85
(98)
4.29
(109)
3.86
(98)
3.28
(83)
4.43
(113)
4.68
(119)
5.83
(148)
57.87
(1,470)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.1
(0.25)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.9 8.3 8.2 6.8 7.6 7.8 7.9 7.4 5.5 5.6 7.0 8.3 89.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3
Source: NOAA[26][27]
Climate data for Tallulah, Louisiana (Vicksburg – Tallulah Regional Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 81
(27)
86
(30)
89
(32)
92
(33)
97
(36)
102
(39)
104
(40)
106
(41)
105
(41)
98
(37)
88
(31)
83
(28)
106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 57.2
(14.0)
61.9
(16.6)
69.6
(20.9)
76.9
(24.9)
84.3
(29.1)
90.2
(32.3)
92.6
(33.7)
92.8
(33.8)
88.4
(31.3)
79.1
(26.2)
67.8
(19.9)
59.6
(15.3)
76.7
(24.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 47.6
(8.7)
51.8
(11.0)
59.1
(15.1)
66.2
(19.0)
73.9
(23.3)
80.4
(26.9)
82.8
(28.2)
82.4
(28.0)
77.2
(25.1)
66.6
(19.2)
55.9
(13.3)
49.7
(9.8)
66.1
(18.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 37.9
(3.3)
41.7
(5.4)
48.7
(9.3)
55.5
(13.1)
63.5
(17.5)
70.6
(21.4)
73.1
(22.8)
72.0
(22.2)
66.1
(18.9)
54.0
(12.2)
44.0
(6.7)
39.7
(4.3)
55.6
(13.1)
Record low °F (°C) −2
(−19)
−12
(−24)
11
(−12)
28
(−2)
37
(3)
47
(8)
54
(12)
52
(11)
34
(1)
22
(−6)
15
(−9)
4
(−16)
−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.44
(138)
5.11
(130)
5.02
(128)
5.96
(151)
3.85
(98)
3.74
(95)
4.05
(103)
3.75
(95)
3.00
(76)
4.13
(105)
3.92
(100)
5.38
(137)
53.35
(1,355)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.3 10.1 9.9 8.4 9.5 9.1 9.7 9.4 6.8 7.5 8.7 10.1 108.5
Source: NOAA[26][28]

Demographics edit

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1910847
19201,31655.4%
19303,332153.2%
19405,71271.4%
19507,75835.8%
19609,41321.3%
19709,6432.4%
198011,34117.6%
19908,526−24.8%
20009,1897.8%
20107,335−20.2%
20206,286−14.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[29]
 
First Baptist Church across from Brushy Bayou in Tallulah, where outdoor baptisms took place in the bayou from the 1920s through the 1940s
 
Abandoned Tallulah High School adjacent to First Baptist Church; the school was consolidated with the new Madison High School in Tallulah.
 
Louisiana Technical College, Tallulah campus
Tallulah racial composition as of 2020[30]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,016 16.16%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5,037 80.13%
Native American 12 0.19%
Asian 5 0.08%
Pacific Islander 3 0.05%
Other/Mixed 113 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 100 1.59%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,286 people, 2,561 households, and 1,528 families residing in the city.

Education edit

Madison Parish School Board operates public schools.[31]

  • Madison High School - grades 9-12
  • Madison Middle School (grades 6, 7 and 8)
  • Wright Elementary School (grades 3-5)
  • Tallulah Elementary School (grades PreK-2)

Notable people edit

See also edit

Representation in other media edit

  • Donna Jo Napoli, Alligator Bayou (2009), young adult historical novel about the 1899 lynchings of Italians in Tallulah, published by Wendy Lamb Books.

Further reading edit

  • “Tallulah's Shame", Harper's Magazine, July 1899
  • Patrizia Salvetti, Corda e Sapone (in Italian) (2012); Rope and Soap: Lynchings of Italians in the United States, English translation, New York, NY : Bordighera Press, [2017]

References edit

  1. ^ Bonne Bolden (September 1, 2018). "UPDATE: Tallulah mayor dead after medical procedure". The Monroe News-Star. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  2. ^ "City Council". City of Tallulah. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "P1. Race – Tallulah city, Louisiana: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ a b . fonderiausa.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Ken Scambray, " 'Corda e Sapone' (Rope and Soap): how the Italians were lynched in the USA", L'Italo-Americano, 13 December 2012; accessed 14 May 2018
  8. ^ Richard P. Sevier, Madison Parish, Arcadia Publishing, 2003, p. 61
  9. ^ a b "Delta Airlines Beginnings". Louisiana Delta 65. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Richard P. Sevier (2003), Madison Parish, p. 55
  11. ^ R.P. Sevier (2003), Madison Parish, p. 64
  12. ^ Bloom's Arcade profile, Historical Places website; accessed June 30, 2014.
  13. ^ John Lewis and Archie E. Allen, "Black Voter Registration in the South", Notre Dame Law Review, Volume 48|Issue 1; October 1972
  14. ^ Charles L. Sanders (January 1970). Black Lawman in KKK Territory. Ebony Magazine. pp. 57–64. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  15. ^ a b Martin Waldron (October 5, 1969). "Black police chief finds white support not easy to obtain". New York Times (Eugene Register-Guard). Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  16. ^ Thomas A. Johnson, "Louisiana Negroes Seek Power", New York Times, 29 September 1971. Accessed March 20, 2018.
  17. ^ a b c d Katy Reckdahl (August 2, 2004). "Taking Back Tallulah". The Advocate. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Chicago Mill and Lumber Company/ "A Death in the Delta: Tallulah's Tragic", The Frontline blog. January 11, 2017.
  19. ^ a b National Register Staff (August 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Hermione". National Park Service. Retrieved September 4, 2018. (comprising 1988 registration form #88002652), With seven photos from 1988 and 13 photos from 1998.
  20. ^ a b "Louisiana Honors Its African-American Heritage, louisianatravel.com. Accessed December 21, 2022.
  21. ^ National Weather Service. (2010). NWS Jackson, MS - April 24, 2012 violent long track tornado. Retrieved from https://www.weather.gov/jan/2010_04_24_main_tor_madison_parish_oktibbeha
  22. ^ National Weather Service. (2010). 20100424's storm report (1200 UTC - 1159 UTC). Retrieved from https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20100424
  23. ^ a b c d e "Sevier Family of Madison Parish, Louisiana". rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  24. ^ "Madison Parish LTCW", LaSalle Corrections website
  25. ^ "Our Locations", LaSalle Corrections website
  26. ^ a b "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  27. ^ "Station: Tallulah, LA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  28. ^ "Station: Tallulah Vicksburg AP, LA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  29. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  30. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  31. ^ District, Madison Parish School. "Madison Parish School District - Schools". www.madisonpsb.org. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Henry E. Chambers, History of Louisiana, Vol. 2 (Chicago and New York City: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925, p. 71)

External links edit

  • Official website

tallulah, louisiana, tallulah, city, parish, seat, madison, parish, northeastern, louisiana, united, states, 2020, census, population, down, from, 2010, citytallulah, municipal, buildinglocation, madison, parish, louisianatallulahshow, louisianatallulahshow, u. Tallulah t e ˈ l uː l e te LOO le is a city in and the parish seat of Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana United States 5 As of the 2020 census the population was 6 286 4 down from 7 335 in 2010 Tallulah LouisianaCityTallulah municipal buildingLocation in Madison Parish LouisianaTallulahShow map of LouisianaTallulahShow map of the United StatesCoordinates 32 24 31 N 91 11 12 W 32 40861 N 91 18667 W 32 40861 91 18667CountryUnited StatesStateLouisianaParishMadisonGovernment 2 MayorCharles Finlayson 1 City CouncilCity Council Charles Finlayson Dist 1 Lisa Houston Dist 2 Tommy Watson Dist 3 Marjorie Day Dist 4 Gloria Hayden Dist 5 Area 3 Total2 78 sq mi 7 21 km2 Land2 78 sq mi 7 21 km2 Water0 00 sq mi 0 00 km2 Elevation85 ft 26 m Population 2020 4 Total6 286 Density2 258 71 sq mi 872 07 km2 Time zoneUTC 6 CST Summer DST UTC 5 CDT ZIP Codes71282 71284FIPS code22 74690Websitecityoftallulah wbr orgBrushy Bayou in TallulahPart of downtown TallulahAs this was historically a center of agriculture since the antebellum years producing cotton and pecans Tallulah and the parish have long had majority African American populations The small city is now nearly 77 percent African American the surrounding parish is 60 percent black Mechanization and industrial agriculture have reduced the number of jobs and many residents have moved since the mid 20th century to larger cities with more opportunities Tallulah is the principal city of the Tallulah Micropolitan Statistical Area which includes all of Madison Parish The Madison Parish Sheriff s office operates the Steve Hoyle Rehabilitation Center in Tallulah Contents 1 History 1 1 Post Civil War to 1942 1 2 World War II to present 1 3 Seviers of Tallulah 2 Detention and correction facilities 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Demographics 6 Education 7 Notable people 8 See also 9 Representation in other media 10 Further reading 11 References 12 External linksHistory editThis area was developed in the antebellum years by European Americans for cotton plantations They brought in thousands of enslaved African Americans to produce and process the crops Major planters grew wealthy from their labor at a time when the market for cotton was strong Post Civil War to 1942 edit After the American Civil War many freedmen from the plantations stayed in the parish often working as sharecroppers In the late 19th century Italian immigrants settled in Louisiana most in New Orleans but some in outlying parishes such as Madison Some served as migrant workers on cotton or sugar cane plantations in the north or south of the state respectively The immigrants were primarily from Sicily Starting as farm workers some banded together to establish small stores such as groceries in parish seats and other trading towns By 1899 five Sicilians were doing a good business in Tallulah with four small stores devoted to fruit vegetables and poultry All but one of the men were relatives Whites attacked the Sicilians because of economic competition 6 They had also been criticized for failing to comply with Jim Crow rules if they had black customers waiting they made new white customers wait their turn rather than giving the whites preference as was the custom 7 On July 20 1899 a mob of white residents of Tallulah lynched the five Sicilians from Cefalu Two other Italians who lived in nearby Milliken s Bend fled the area for their safety The Italians were still citizens nationals of Italy and their government protested strongly to the United States government about each lynching murder The US government said that the states had to prosecute such killings 7 As was typical in this period of frequent lynchings of black US citizens none of the white lynch mob was prosecuted 6 The city developed through the early 20th century and had a growing population as people came in from rural areas to work in the lumber mills and timber processing Because it was the center of a major agricultural area Tallulah became the site of the Louisiana Delta Fair held annually in October through the first half of the 20th century It featured exhibits from Madison East Carroll and Tensas parishes Later in the century the fair was phased out 8 Shirley Field also known as Scott Field was reportedly the first airport in Louisiana it was built in 1922 near Tallulah 9 10 Dr B R Coad head of the Agricultural Experiment Laboratory developed a process and equipment for crop dusting from airplanes in order to combat the devastating boll weevil infestation of cotton crops The USDA bought a Huff Daland plane for this purpose in 1924 10 Hundreds of flights took off from the Tallulah Airport as this process was developed and fields on both sides of the Mississippi were treated Delta Air Lines had its origins from Delta Dusters the company developed here to produce and operate crop dusting from airplanes 10 Shirley Field and the original airport building still stand near Tallulah and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places NRHP 9 The parish seat also attracted Jewish immigrants Based on the success of their drugstore in 1927 merchant brothers Mertie M and Abe Bloom built the first enclosed shopping mall Bloom s Arcade in the United States in Tallulah It was built by A Hays Town in the style of European city arcades 11 The building had a central hall with stores located on either side much like the ones today The hall opened into the street on both ends This landmark is still in Tallulah located along what is now U S Route 80 It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places NRHP As of late 2013 it had been restored to its original architectural character and was adapted as an apartment complex 12 Later in 1927 the downtown was flooded during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 Many downtown stores were flooded by several feet of water It took time for the town to recover World War II to present edit After serving in World War II African American veterans began to challenge racial discrimination in the South more vigorously After the Supreme Court ruled in Smith v Allwright 1944 that the white primary of the Democratic Party was unconstitutional more blacks began to register in the South However in Louisiana the number of white qualified voters in 1947 still surpassed blacks by a ratio of 100 to one 13 The population increased in Tallulah in the decades after the war reaching a high in 1980 see tables below African Americans were the majority population in the city and the parish Having faced continuing discrimination in efforts to vote in 1962 a group of eight African American men successfully sued the parish registrar and state to be able to register and vote Following passage of the national Civil Rights Act in 1964 in 1965 activists conducted boycotts to end discrimination in employment many stores would not hire blacks as workers Seventeen businesses closed in the city rather than hire blacks 14 15 That year Congress passed the Voting Rights Act authorizing the federal government to oversee voter registration and elections in jurisdictions such as Tallulah and Madison Parish with historic under representation of minorities The proportion of African American voting began to increase In 1969 Zelma Wyche a local veteran and activist was elected as Police Chief of Tallulah the first African American to hold the office He ensured there were an equal number of white and black police officers on the force and had them patrol in mixed teams 15 In 1971 black candidates were running for 21 of 27 parish seats in Madison Parish a sign of the changing times In other parts of Louisiana African Americans were also running for local offices 16 In 1974 Adell Williams was elected as mayor of Tallulah the first African American to hold the office He is believed to have been the first black mayor elected in Louisiana since Reconstruction 17 The city had its peak of population in 1980 The mechanization of agriculture and the decline of some former industries have reduced the number of local jobs with population following It used to be considered a lumber mill town with the Chicago Mill and Lumber dominating local industry from its site on the west side of the city 18 After declines from the 1970s the mill closed in 1983 adding to local economic problems 17 Unlike some other areas of the state only four antebellum structures remain in the parish because of destruction by General Ulysses S Grant s forces during the Vicksburg Campaign in the Civil War One is a one story 1855 plantation house known as Hermione from the Kell Plantation It was used by Grant as a Union hospital 19 After being donated to the Madison Historical Society in 1997 Hermione was moved to its current site on North Mulberry Street in Tallulah It was adapted to serve both as offices for the society and as the Hermione Museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places 19 Among its exhibits is one about Madam C J Walker the first African American woman to become a self made businesswoman and millionaire 20 Born free soon after the war as Sarah Breedlove in nearby Delta Louisiana she moved north as a young woman where she developed a line of hair care products that she manufactured and sold nationally The museum is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail 20 On April 24 2010 an EF4 tornado touched down just outside Tallulah causing numerous injuries The tornado damaged a tanker in a chemical plant causing a small nitrogen leak Significant damage to an industrial plant with associated injuries trapped people and destroyed homes nearby were reported in Madison Parish near the Louisiana Mississippi state line The tornado continued across the Mississippi River It gained strength and struck Yazoo Holmes and Choctaw counties in Mississippi causing 10 fatalities and extensive destruction 21 22 Seviers of Tallulah edit Tallulah and Madison Parish have been led and represented politically by numerous members of the prominent Sevier family who were longtime planters They are descended from John Sevier a veteran of the American Revolution and his wife Later they were pioneers in what is now Tennessee and Sevier was elected as the first governor of Tennessee He was the namesake for the city of Sevierville Tennessee 23 George Washington Sevier Sr 1858 1925 was elected as a member of the Madison Parish Police Jury He served as the parish tax assessor from 1891 to 1916 23 Except for the years 1887 90 there has been at least one member of the Sevier family in public office for the 122 years preceding 2005 The family s power was maintained primarily in the decades long period when Democratic Party whites dominated voting and Louisiana was virtually a one party state From its passage of a new constitution in 1898 the state legislature worked to disenfranchise African Americans who were then mostly members of the Republican Party They were systematically disenfranchised and nearly excluded from the political system until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid 20th century Under these conditions Andrew Leonard Sevier Sr was repeatedly re elected as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate serving from 1932 until his death in 1962 His widow the former Irene Newman Jordan was appointed to serve the rest of his term Andrew Jackson Sevier Jr served as sheriff of Madison Parish from 1904 until his death in office in 1941 He was succeeded for the rest of his term by his widow Mary Louise Day Sevier A cousin of the Seviers Henry Clay Sevier was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936 to 1952 23 James D Sevier Sr and his son also named James held the office of tax assessor for more than four decades SSG James D Sevier III Doug served in the US Army and Louisiana Army National Guard from 2020 2022 He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal The Steel Order of the de Fleury Medal the Combat Action Badge the Louisiana War Cross and many other awards and citations during his service which includes 2 combat deployments to Afghanistan 2004 2005 2011 2012 and Iraq Syria 2021 Doug was also a liaison for the Louisiana National Guard in Hohenfels Germany 2010 and served many vital roles during disaster relief in Louisiana Hurricane Katrina Rita Gustav and Ike Mason Spencer husband of Rosa Sevier Spencer represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana House from 1924 to 1936 He planned to run for governor of Louisiana in 1935 but withdrew his candidacy after the assassination of former governor Huey Pierce Long Jr Richard Leche of New Orleans of the Long faction won the office 23 Among the political leaders from this family were William Putnam Buck Sevier Jr a banker He first served three terms as an elected town alderman in Tallulah He was elected as mayor of the city in 1946 and served for nearly 30 years from 1947 to 1974 His tenure included some of the volatile years of the civil rights movement when African Americans sought changes to the Jim Crow system and justice as citizens Sevier led white residents in adapting to change as more African American citizens began to register vote and be elected to local offices Sevier at the time of his death held the record at more than forty four years as the longest serving publicly elected official in Louisiana 23 Detention and correction facilities editIn November 1994 the state opened the privately operated Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth on the western edge of the city Residents hoped it would provide jobs for local people and aid the local economy but there were soon problems associated with management of the facility and the jobs there were low paying In addition to problems within the facility the prison seemed to have an adverse effect on the city In 1999 the state took over operating the facility renaming it the Swanson Correctional Center for Youth Madison Parish Unit but there continued to be problems with the treatment of youth 17 A coalition of townspeople began to work on ideas for different uses for the land The state decided to close the facility and the coalition proposed an educational center instead They gained legislative approval in one year so when the juvenile prison was closed in 2004 there were plans developed for an educational center on the site A bill for the Northeast Delta Learning Center was signed by Governor Kathleen Blanco in July 2004 Issues remaining were getting funding for it and offsetting a proposal to use the facility as an adult prison 17 Despite the desire of the townspeople the facility was converted to house adult prisoners 18 It is known as the Madison Parish Louisiana Transitional Center for Women LCTW houses 535 inmates and is operated by LaSalle Corrections a private company 24 Other related facilities in Tallulah as it is the parish seat are the Madison Parish Detention Center with 264 inmates and the Madison Parish Correctional Center with 334 inmates These are also operated by LaSalle Corrections 25 Geography editTallulah is in east central Madison Parish in northeastern Louisiana It is in the valley of the Mississippi River 7 miles 11 km southwest of the river itself It is bordered to the south by the village of Richmond U S Routes 65 and U S Route 80 cross in the center of Tallulah US 65 leads north 28 miles 45 km to Lake Providence and south 26 miles 42 km to Newellton while US 80 leads west 19 miles 31 km to Delhi and east 22 miles 35 km to Vicksburg Mississippi Interstate 20 crosses the southernmost part of Tallulah with access from Exit 171 US 65 I 20 leads east to Vicksburg and west 56 miles 90 km to Monroe According to the United States Census Bureau Tallulah has a total area of 2 78 square miles 7 2 km2 all of it recorded as land 3 Brushy Bayou passes through the center of town Climate editClimate data for Tallulah Louisiana 1991 2020 normals extremes 1907 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 84 29 85 29 93 34 95 35 99 37 104 40 104 40 106 41 105 41 95 35 90 32 87 31 106 41 Mean daily maximum F C 59 6 15 3 63 9 17 7 71 5 21 9 79 1 26 2 86 0 30 0 91 6 33 1 94 2 34 6 94 8 34 9 90 2 32 3 81 3 27 4 69 9 21 1 61 9 16 6 78 7 25 9 Daily mean F C 49 0 9 4 52 4 11 3 59 9 15 5 67 5 19 7 75 4 24 1 81 6 27 6 84 0 28 9 84 0 28 9 78 9 26 1 68 8 20 4 57 9 14 4 51 1 10 6 67 5 19 7 Mean daily minimum F C 38 4 3 6 41 0 5 0 48 4 9 1 56 0 13 3 64 8 18 2 71 5 21 9 73 8 23 2 73 3 22 9 67 6 19 8 56 3 13 5 46 0 7 8 40 3 4 6 56 4 13 6 Record low F C 8 22 12 24 11 12 28 2 37 3 47 8 54 12 52 11 34 1 21 6 15 9 4 16 12 24 Average precipitation inches mm 5 63 143 5 54 141 5 34 136 6 65 169 4 49 114 3 85 98 4 29 109 3 86 98 3 28 83 4 43 113 4 68 119 5 83 148 57 87 1 470 Average snowfall inches cm 0 1 0 25 0 2 0 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 76 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 8 9 8 3 8 2 6 8 7 6 7 8 7 9 7 4 5 5 5 6 7 0 8 3 89 3Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3Source NOAA 26 27 Climate data for Tallulah Louisiana Vicksburg Tallulah Regional Airport 1991 2020 normals extremes 1948 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 81 27 86 30 89 32 92 33 97 36 102 39 104 40 106 41 105 41 98 37 88 31 83 28 106 41 Mean daily maximum F C 57 2 14 0 61 9 16 6 69 6 20 9 76 9 24 9 84 3 29 1 90 2 32 3 92 6 33 7 92 8 33 8 88 4 31 3 79 1 26 2 67 8 19 9 59 6 15 3 76 7 24 8 Daily mean F C 47 6 8 7 51 8 11 0 59 1 15 1 66 2 19 0 73 9 23 3 80 4 26 9 82 8 28 2 82 4 28 0 77 2 25 1 66 6 19 2 55 9 13 3 49 7 9 8 66 1 18 9 Mean daily minimum F C 37 9 3 3 41 7 5 4 48 7 9 3 55 5 13 1 63 5 17 5 70 6 21 4 73 1 22 8 72 0 22 2 66 1 18 9 54 0 12 2 44 0 6 7 39 7 4 3 55 6 13 1 Record low F C 2 19 12 24 11 12 28 2 37 3 47 8 54 12 52 11 34 1 22 6 15 9 4 16 12 24 Average precipitation inches mm 5 44 138 5 11 130 5 02 128 5 96 151 3 85 98 3 74 95 4 05 103 3 75 95 3 00 76 4 13 105 3 92 100 5 38 137 53 35 1 355 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 9 3 10 1 9 9 8 4 9 5 9 1 9 7 9 4 6 8 7 5 8 7 10 1 108 5Source NOAA 26 28 Demographics editHistorical population CensusPop Note 1910847 19201 31655 4 19303 332153 2 19405 71271 4 19507 75835 8 19609 41321 3 19709 6432 4 198011 34117 6 19908 526 24 8 20009 1897 8 20107 335 20 2 20206 286 14 3 U S Decennial Census 29 nbsp First Baptist Church across from Brushy Bayou in Tallulah where outdoor baptisms took place in the bayou from the 1920s through the 1940s nbsp Abandoned Tallulah High School adjacent to First Baptist Church the school was consolidated with the new Madison High School in Tallulah nbsp Louisiana Technical College Tallulah campusTallulah racial composition as of 2020 30 Race Num Perc White non Hispanic 1 016 16 16 Black or African American non Hispanic 5 037 80 13 Native American 12 0 19 Asian 5 0 08 Pacific Islander 3 0 05 Other Mixed 113 1 8 Hispanic or Latino 100 1 59 As of the 2020 United States census there were 6 286 people 2 561 households and 1 528 families residing in the city Education editMadison Parish School Board operates public schools 31 Madison High School grades 9 12 Madison Middle School grades 6 7 and 8 Wright Elementary School grades 3 5 Tallulah Elementary School grades PreK 2 Louisiana Technical College operates a Tallulah campus Notable people editClifford Cleveland Brooks planter in St Joseph represented Madison Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932 32 Buddy Caldwell former Attorney General of Louisiana since 2008 former Madison East Carroll and Tensas parish district attorney James Haynes NFL player Jimmy Cooch Eye Jones former National Basketball Association NBA player with the Baltimore Bullets Paul Jorgensen professional boxer John Little professional football player Robert Nixon American serial killer Joe Osborn musician James Silas professional basketball player Jefferson B Snyder district attorney of Madison Parish from 1904 to 1948 Madam C J Walker born Sarah Breedlove on December 23 1867 near Delta Louisiana She was a businesswoman who became a self made millionaire from health care products she developed and sold for African Americans Zelma Wyche political activist first African American police chief and elected mayor of Tallulah sometimes called Mr Civil Rights of Louisiana See also editDelta Village Hermione MuseumRepresentation in other media editDonna Jo Napoli Alligator Bayou 2009 young adult historical novel about the 1899 lynchings of Italians in Tallulah published by Wendy Lamb Books Further reading edit Tallulah s Shame Harper s Magazine July 1899 Patrizia Salvetti Corda e Sapone in Italian 2012 Rope and Soap Lynchings of Italians in the United States English translation New York NY Bordighera Press 2017 References edit Bonne Bolden September 1 2018 UPDATE Tallulah mayor dead after medical procedure The Monroe News Star Retrieved September 4 2018 City Council City of Tallulah Retrieved June 18 2017 a b 2022 U S Gazetteer Files Louisiana United States Census Bureau Retrieved May 24 2023 a b P1 Race Tallulah city Louisiana 2020 DEC Redistricting Data PL 94 171 U S Census Bureau Retrieved May 24 2023 Find a County National Association of Counties Retrieved June 7 2011 a b FONDERIA USA 5 SICILIANS LYNCHED IN TALLULAH IN 1899 fonderiausa com Archived from the original on November 30 2016 a b Ken Scambray Corda e Sapone Rope and Soap how the Italians were lynched in the USA L Italo Americano 13 December 2012 accessed 14 May 2018 Richard P Sevier Madison Parish Arcadia Publishing 2003 p 61 a b Delta Airlines Beginnings Louisiana Delta 65 Retrieved June 18 2017 a b c Richard P Sevier 2003 Madison Parish p 55 R P Sevier 2003 Madison Parish p 64 Bloom s Arcade profile Historical Places website accessed June 30 2014 John Lewis and Archie E Allen Black Voter Registration in the South Notre Dame Law Review Volume 48 Issue 1 October 1972 Charles L Sanders January 1970 Black Lawman in KKK Territory Ebony Magazine pp 57 64 Retrieved July 26 2013 a b Martin Waldron October 5 1969 Black police chief finds white support not easy to obtain New York Times Eugene Register Guard Retrieved July 27 2013 Thomas A Johnson Louisiana Negroes Seek Power New York Times 29 September 1971 Accessed March 20 2018 a b c d Katy Reckdahl August 2 2004 Taking Back Tallulah The Advocate Retrieved March 16 2019 a b Chicago Mill and Lumber Company A Death in the Delta Tallulah s Tragic The Frontline blog January 11 2017 a b National Register Staff August 1998 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Hermione National Park Service Retrieved September 4 2018 comprising 1988 registration form 88002652 With seven photos from 1988 and 13 photos from 1998 a b Louisiana Honors Its African American Heritage louisianatravel com Accessed December 21 2022 National Weather Service 2010 NWS Jackson MS April 24 2012 violent long track tornado Retrieved from https www weather gov jan 2010 04 24 main tor madison parish oktibbeha National Weather Service 2010 20100424 s storm report 1200 UTC 1159 UTC Retrieved from https www spc noaa gov exper archive event php date 20100424 a b c d e Sevier Family of Madison Parish Louisiana rootsweb ancestry com Retrieved February 15 2011 Madison Parish LTCW LaSalle Corrections website Our Locations LaSalle Corrections website a b NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved August 21 2021 Station Tallulah LA U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved August 21 2021 Station Tallulah Vicksburg AP LA U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 16 2021 Census of Population and Housing Census gov Retrieved June 4 2015 Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved December 19 2021 District Madison Parish School Madison Parish School District Schools www madisonpsb org Retrieved July 28 2021 Henry E Chambers History of Louisiana Vol 2 Chicago and New York City The American Historical Society Inc 1925 p 71 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tallulah Louisiana Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tallulah Louisiana amp oldid 1201166332, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.