Delhi, Louisiana

History

In 1890, the Delhi Institute was founded in Delhi, Louisiana; a Black private school affiliated with the A.M.E. church. Delhi Institute was renamed to Lampton College; after a 1907 fire, the campus was moved to Alexandria, Louisiana, before being absorbed sometime after 1945 by Campbell College in Jackson, Mississippi.

In the 1940s, Delhi was the center of a large natural gas boom. Numerous workers came to work in the industry. Several functioning gas fields still surround the town.

From 1968 until 1969, Delhi Fire Department was home to the now-defunct Louisiana State Police – Troop O. The site was abandoned in 1969 after thirteen months' operation, with state services reverting to Troop F in Monroe.

On February 21, 1971, as part of the February 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak, Louisiana's only recorded F5 tornado struck outside of Delhi. It resulted in forty-seven deaths and was the deadliest F5 tornado to hit the United States since the Jackson, Mississippi, Candlestick Park tornado in 1966. It was the earliest confirmed F5 tornado during a year.

Geography

Delhi is located at (32.455948, -91.493345). The town lies at the confluence of U.S. Route 80 and Louisiana Highway 17, and near to Interstate 20.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, of which 2.5 sqmi is land and 0.1 square mile (2.33%) is water.

The town's elevation of 89 ft spared Delhi from the brunt of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 that destroyed most of the surrounding Mississippi River Delta area.

The Poverty Point Reservoir, which hosts the acclaimed Black Bear Golf Club and the Poverty Point Reservoir State Park, is located just north of Delhi on Louisiana Highway 17 near Warden. The reservoir project was pushed to fruition by State Senator Francis C. Thompson of Delhi.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,622 people, 1,082 households, and 641 families residing in the town.

Education

Public schools in Richland Parish are operated by the Richland Parish School Board. Three campuses serve the town of DelhiDelhi Elementary School (Grades PK–4), Delhi Middle School (Grades 5–8), and Delhi High School (Grades 9–12).

Delhi Charter School (DCS) (K–12) is an area charter school.

Name

The origin of the name Delhi is uncertain. According to The Delhi Dispatch, one story says that a Professor Allen chose the name after reading the poem "Lalla Rookh" by Thomas Moore. The other story says that the name stuck when a tree with "Delhi" carved into it was used by travelers for navigation.

Notable people

• Earl Holliman, Golden Globe award-winning film and television actor
• Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
• Bnois King, jazz and blues musician, born in Delhi
• Bob Love, basketball player, went to high school in Delhi
• Toussaint McCall, blues singer, born in Delhi
• Tim McGraw, country singer
• Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon, Chicago blues bass guitarist
• Pat "Gravy" Patterson, baseball coach at Louisiana Tech University
• Steven Pylant, Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
• Johnny Robinson, NFL player with the Kansas City Chiefs
• Charles Wyly and Sam Wyly, businessmen who endowed Wyly Tower of Learning at Louisiana Tech University

Gallery

Image:Abandoned theater, Delhi, LA IMG 0181.JPG|Abandoned theater in downtown Delhi File:Commercial Capital Bank of Delhi, LA IMG 7335.JPG|Commercial Capital Bank is located in downtown Delhi across the street from the First Baptist Church. Image:First Baptist Church, Delhi, LA IMG 0189.JPG|First Baptist Church at 306 Broadway Street in downtown Delhi Image:Delhi, LA, United Methodist Church IMG 7341.JPG|Delhi United Methodist Church is located across the street from Delhi High School. Image:Delhi, LA, High School IMG 7342.JPG|Delhi High School, with mascot "The Bears", is operated by the Richland Parish School Board. Image:Poverty Point Reservoir (2013) IMG 7439.JPG|Trees in the reservoir north of Poverty Point Reservoir State Park near Delhi

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. (2023). "Delhi LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com.
3. {{GNIS. 2406371
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5. (1910). "An Era of Progress and Promise: 1863–1910". Priscilla Pub. Co..
6. Wright, Richard Robert. (1916). "Centennial Encyclopaedia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church". Book Concern of the A.M.E. Church.
7. [http://www.lsp.org/troopfhistory.html "Troop History"], Louisiana State Police
8. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
10. "Explore Census Data".
11. (May 20, 1999). "History of Delhi, Louisiana".
12. (July 14, 2000). "Country Music: The Encyclopedia". St. Martin's Press.
13. Komara, Edward M.. (December 9, 2006). "Encyclopedia of the Blues". Psychology Press.