Morgan City, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgan City, Louisiana
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| City of Morgan City | |
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| Motto(s):
Right in the Middle of Everywhere
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Location of Morgan City in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Mary, St. Martin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.25 sq mi (16.19 km2) |
| • Land | 5.98 sq mi (15.50 km2) |
| • Water | 0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,472 |
| • Density | 1,917.11/sq mi (740.19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
70380
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| Area code(s) | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-52040 |
Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109 km) southeast of Lafayette, 64 miles (103 km) south of Baton Rouge, and 86 miles (138 km) west of New Orleans
Morgan City sits on the banks of the Atchafalaya River. The town was originally named "Tiger Island" by surveyors appointed by U.S. Secretary of War John Calhoun, because of a particular type of wild cat seen in the area. It was later changed for a time to "Brashear City," named after Walter Brashear, a prominent Kentucky physician who had purchased large tracts of land and acquired numerous sugar mills in the area. It was incorporated in 1860.
Contents
Capture of Brashear City
During the American Civil War, Star Fort or Fort Brashear was the larger of two works erected by the Union Army occupying the city to defend a Federal military depot and the town. During the Bayou Teche Campaign, on the night of June 22, 1863, 325 Confederates of Gen. A. A. Mouton's command led by Major Sherod Hunter landed their skiffs and flats in the rear of the town. Attacking the next day, they surprised and captured the city, 1,300 Union prisoners, 11 heavy siege guns, 2,500 stands of rifles, immense quantities of quartermaster, commissary and ordnance stores, as well as 2,000 negroes and between 200 and 300 wagons and tents, while suffering losses of only 3 killed, 18 wounded.
Morgan City
In 1876, the community's name was changed to Morgan City in tribute to Charles Morgan, a rail and steamship magnate who first dredged the Atchafalaya Bay Ship Channel to accommodate ocean-going vessels.
On October 28, 1985, Hurricane Juan (not to be confused with the 2003 storm of the same name) made landfall near Morgan City, flooding many parts of the city. The storm then looped off shore and came onshore again in Alabama.
On August 26, 1992, Hurricane Andrew came ashore 20 miles (32 km) to the southwest of town. Andrew was the second most destructive hurricane in U.S. history, crossing Florida and then regaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico before striking Louisiana.
Agricultural
A type of blackberry deemed the Youngberry was developed by B.M. Young in 1905 in Morgan City, Louisiana, as a hybrid between a variety of blackberries. The Youngberry is a cross between Luther Burbank’s, Phenomenal Berry, and the Austin-Mayes Dewberry, a trailing blackberry. The Youngberry was introduced commercially in 1926 and quickly came to rival Loganberries. The Youngberry had excellent qualities, such as taste and high yields, and it soon replaced the Loganberry of California.
Geography
Morgan City is located at 29°42′3″N 91°11′50″W / 29.70083°N 91.19722°W (29.700828, -91.197314) and has an elevation of 7 feet (2.1 m).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (15.5 km2) is land and 0.27 square miles (0.7 km2), or 4.03%, is water.
If the Mississippi River were to experience a major course change in the vicinity of the Old River Control Structure or Morganza Spillway, the main channel of the river would likely enter the Gulf of Mexico near Morgan City instead of New Orleans.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 2,015 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,291 | 13.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,332 | 1.8% | |
| 1910 | 5,477 | 134.9% | |
| 1920 | 5,429 | −0.9% | |
| 1930 | 5,985 | 10.2% | |
| 1940 | 6,969 | 16.4% | |
| 1950 | 9,759 | 40.0% | |
| 1960 | 13,540 | 38.7% | |
| 1970 | 16,586 | 22.5% | |
| 1980 | 16,114 | −2.8% | |
| 1990 | 14,531 | −9.8% | |
| 2000 | 12,703 | −12.6% | |
| 2010 | 12,404 | −2.4% | |
| 2020 | 11,472 | −7.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,640 | 57.88% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,510 | 21.88% |
| Native American | 104 | 0.91% |
| Asian | 187 | 1.63% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 480 | 4.18% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,550 | 13.51% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,472 people, 4,732 households, and 2,492 families residing in the city.
Education
St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools:
- Morgan City High School
- Morgan City Junior High School
Elementary schools:
- J. B. Maitland Elementary School
- M. E. Norman Elementary School
- M. D. Shannon Elementary School
- Wyandotte Elementary School
There is a private Catholic Pre-k through grade 12 school, Central Catholic High School.
Notable people
- Bill Burgo (1919–1988), baseball player
- Carla Blanchard Dartez, former state representative
- Charles deGravelles (1913–2008), Louisiana State Republican chairman from 1968 to 1972
- Mo B. Dick (Born Raymond E Poole, 1965), music producer
- Eddie Dyer (1899–1964), Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
- Sid Gautreaux (1912–1980), baseball player
- Anthony Guarisco, Jr. (born 1938), state senator from 1976 to 1988; lawyer and real estate businessman, now in Baton Rouge
- Mark Hall (born 1965), football player
- René Hall (1912–1988), session guitarist
- Burt Lancon, figure skater in the 1984 Winter Olympics
- Geronimo Pratt (1947–2011), Black Panther
- Sam Seamans (born 1967), Reformed Episcopal Church Bishop, former Southern Baptist
See also
In Spanish: Morgan City (Luisiana) para niños
