Kentwood is a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States, near the Mississippi border. The population was 2,205 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area. Kentwood is best known as the hometown of Queen of Pop Britney Spears and her sister Jamie Lynn.
Water from Kentwood is bottled and popularly marketed in New Orleans under the Kentwood Springs label. Kentwood is also known as "The Dairy Capital of the South." Kentwood formerly held a dairy parade each November where people sold crafts and miscellaneous items. The festival has not been held for several years due to the shutdown of the dairy plant in the 1970s and the subsequent decline of the town and its economy. Later, the parade and festival were moved to the summer months.
History
Road Trip #107 - I-55 South - Exit 61, Kentwood to Exit 23, Ponchatoula, Louisiana - Our final segment of I-55 South in this series, beginning at mile 61 in Kentwood to Exit 23 in Ponchatoula, Louisiana Music - "The Gloaming", "Pompeii", "Swimming to Cambodia" by Josh Woodward....
This rural town was founded by Amos Kent in 1893.
On August 30, 2012, pressure on a dam on the Tangipahoa River to the north of the town as a result of Hurricane Isaac led to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal calling for a mandatory evacuation of the town due to fears of large-scale flooding from Lake Tangipahoa. The evacuation order was later rescinded and the dam held.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18Â km2), of which 6.9 square miles (18Â km2) is land and 0.14% is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,205 people, 850 households, and 559 families residing in the town. The population density was 318.4 people per square mile (123.0/km²). There were 979 housing units at an average density of 141.4 per square mile (54.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 64.85% African American, 34.42% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 850 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 28.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the town, the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 80.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $17,297, and the median income for a family was $23,889. Males had a median income of $25,583 versus $15,200 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,171. About 29.5% of families and 37.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.2% of those under age 18 and 32.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tangipahoa Parish School Board operates public schools:
- Kentwood High Magnet School (7-12)
- O. W. Dillon Memorial Elementary School (K-6)
Notable people
- Britney Spears, global pop star, dancer and actress.
- Jamie Lynn Spears, actress and country music singer.
- Lynne Spears, author and mother of Bryan, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears.
- Roger Ballard, country music singer-songwriter
- William H. Carter, I, politician, farmer and businessman
- Stacy Head, New Orleans elected official born in nearby Greensburg but associated with Kentwood
- Michael "Mike" Jackson, former National Football League wide receiver
- Bambi Monroe (born Ashley Horn), former singer and former actress
- Little Brother Montgomery, jazz pianist
- William M. Rainach, member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from Claiborne Parish, candidate for governor of Louisiana in 1959; born in Kentwood in 1913 as "William Odom"
- Clay Shaw, New Orleans businessman and the only person prosecuted in connection with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was acquitted.
- Ann Alexander Smith, Louisiana educator
- Jackie Smith, National Football League tight end and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Collis Temple, Jr., first African-American athlete at Louisiana State University
See also
Camp Moore
References
External links
- Kentwood Museum
- Kentwood Community Development
