Belle Chasse, Louisiana

History

There is little consensus regarding the origin of the name Belle Chasse. In French, belle chasse literally means "beautiful hunting." It is widely believed that it was so named due to the richness of wildlife which the initial French colonists observed when they settled in the region. Others say that Belle Chasse was named for Spanish colonial administrator Joseph Deville Degoutin Bellechasse, who lived there from 1806 to 1814.

The Confederate statesman Judah P. Benjamin was the most famous owner of the Belle Chasse plantation. After falling into decay and abandonment by the 1930s, the landmark plantation house was demolished in 1960. The bell was salvaged and today is in front of the Belle Chasse Public Library.

The Naval Air Station was founded in 1920 on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, but in 1957 it relocated to its current location (Belle Chasse, Louisiana). It has been designated as a Joint Forces Reserve Air Station. It is home to various naval air units as well as an Air Force Reserve fighter squadron and a Marine Corps Reserve helicopter unit. In March 2009, U.S. Navy Reserve Airborne Early Warning Squadron 77 (VAW-77) relocated its six E-2C aircraft from NAS Atlanta, GA to Belle Chasse. The squadron routinely deploys to the Caribbean on counter-narcotic operations. The squadron aircrew are all U.S. Naval Reservists while the maintenance department for the aircraft is run by Northrop Grumman Field Services.

Geography

Belle Chasse is located at (29.852243, -89.9983335), in the New Orleans metropolitan area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 28.4 sqmi, of which 24.9 sqmi is land and 3.5 sqmi (12.21%) is water.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Belle Chasse first appeared as a census designated place the 1980 U.S. census.

At the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 14,024 people living in Belle Chasse, up from 12,679 in 2010. The 2020 United States census reported a population decline at 10,579.

The racial and ethnic makeup of the community was 79.4% non-Hispanic white, 11.6% African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% Asian, 2.0% some other race, and 3.9% two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans were 10.5% of the population in 2019. In 2020, its makeup was 75.85% non-Hispanic white, 5.98% Black or African American, 3.34% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 4.55% two or more races, and 9.47% Hispanic and Latino American, reflecting the demographic transition of the U.S.

In 2019, the median age was 35.0, and 8.2% of the population were aged 5 and under; 70.7% of the population was aged 18 and older, and 10.7% were aged 65 and older. Among the population, 11.4% spoke a language other than English at home, and Spanish was the second most-spoken language. In the census-designated place, the median income for a household was $66,653, and $50,169 was the median income for males versus $41,623 for females. An estimated 11.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Culture and arts

Belle Chasse is home to the famous "Orange Fest," "Crawfish Fest," and "Gamers Fest." It is also home to the Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival.

Education

Plaquemines Parish School Board operates public schools in the entire parish.

Belle Chasse Primary, Belle Chasse Middle, Belle Chasse High School, Belle Chasse Academy, Plaquemines Parrish Alternative School.

At first Belle Chasse High, which opened in 1928, was K-12, but in 1977 Belle Chasse Middle School opened to take the middle grades away. Belle Chasse Primary opened in August 1994. Belle Chasse Middle received the 5th grade in 1999.

Belle Chasse also has a Catholic School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The Plaquemines Parish Library maintains the Belle Chasse Branch, and the library headquarters in the F. Edward Hebert Building.

Government

Belle Chasse is the current and was the temporary home of the Plaquemines Parish Courthouse.

The United States Postal Service operates a post office.

Parish president

Amos Cormier Jr. was once a resident of Port Sulphur and resided in Belle Chasse when he died. Kirk Lepine defeated incumbent Amos Cormier III in a runoff election on Dec. 8 2018 to become Plaquemines Parish President.

National Guard

Belle Chasse serves as a headquarters for the Louisiana Air Force National Guard and home of the 159th Fighter Wing. It served as the principal helicopter staging area for rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina.

Notable people

• Billy Nungesser, former Parish President and current Lt. Governor of Louisiana.
• Chris Henry, former wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals
• Benny Rousselle, former member of the Louisiana House (1996–1999) and the former president of Plaquemines Parish government (1999–2007)
• Ernest Wooton, District 105 state representative (1999–2012), Plaquemines Parish sheriff (1984–1992)
• Bella Blue, Burlesque dancer

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "QuickFacts: Belle Chasse CDP, Louisiana".
3. (March 2020)
4. "Description, history and architecture of Belle Chasse Plantation in Belle Chasse, Louisiana circa 1930s". Louisiana Digital Library.
5. Bradley, Jared William. (2002). "Interim appointment : W.C.C. Claiborne letter book, 1804–1805". Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press.
6. (February 7, 2015). "Belle Chasse Plantation". Louisiana State University Press.
7. (2011-02-12). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
8. "Decennial Census by Decade".
9. (1950). "1950 Census of Population - Louisiana - Table 7 - Population of all incorporated places and of unincorporated places of 1,000 or more: 1950 and 1940".
10. (1960). "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Louisiana - Table 8 - Population of All Incorporated Places and Unincorporated Places of 1,000 or More: 1940 to 1960".
11. (1970). "1970 Census of Population - Louisiana - Characteristics of the Population - Table 6. Population of Places: 1970 and 1960".
12. (1980). "1980 Census of Population - Louisiana - Table 14 - Summary of General Characteristics".
13. (1990). "1990 Census of Population - Louisiana - Table 1. Summary of General Characteristics of Persons: 1990".
14. (2000). "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
15. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Louisiana".
16. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Belle Chasse CDP, Texas".
17. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Belle Chasse CDP, Texas".
18. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Belle Chasse CDP, Texas".
19. "Geography Profile: Belle Chasse CDP, Louisiana".
20. (2021-08-12). "Census Shows Sharply Growing Numbers of Hispanic, Asian and Multiracial Americans". The New York Times.
21. (May 27, 2010). "Seafood Festival will go on in Belle Chasse - But shrimp, oysters remain a question". The Times-Picayune Publishing Corporation.
22. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Plaquemines Parish, LA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
23. "Plaquemines Parish School District".
24. "[http://bchs.ppsb.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=169475&type=d&pREC_ID=351358 School Profile]." [[Belle Chasse High School]]. Retrieved on December 3, 2016.
25. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20040207051647/http://geocities.com/bcmsbulldogs/ Home]." Belle Chasse Middle School. February 7, 2004. Retrieved on December 3, 2016.
26. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20040505175250/http://www.ppsb.org/schools/bcps/index.htm Home]." Belle Chasse Primary School. May 5, 1994. Retrieved on December 3, 2016.
27. "Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School - Belle Chasse, LA". School.olphbc.org.
28. "Library". Plaquemines Parish.
29. "Plaquemines Parish Clerk of Court". Cott Systems.
30. "BELLE CHASSE — Post Office™". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
31. "Plaquemines Parish Government | Contact Info".
32. (2012). "Pelican Dispatch". AQP publishing.