Assumption Parish, Louisiana | |
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Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana |
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Louisiana's location in the U.S. |
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Founded | 1807 |
Named for | Assumption Roman Catholic Church |
Seat | Napoleonville |
Largest community | Pierre Part |
Area | |
• Total | 365 sq mi (945 km2) |
• Land | 339 sq mi (878 km2) |
• Water | 26 sq mi (67 km2), 7.1% |
Population (est.) | |
• (2015) | 22,842 |
• Density | 69/sq mi (27/km²) |
Congressional districts | 2nd, 6th |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Assumption Parish (French: Paroisse de l'Assomption) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,421. Its parish seat is Napoleonville. Assumption Parish was established in 1807, as one of the original parishes of the Territory of Orleans.
Assumption Parish is one of the twenty-two Acadiana parishes. Its major product is sugar cane. In proportion to its area, Assumption Parish produces the most sugar of any parish of Louisiana.
Assumption Parish is represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives by Beryl Amedee (Republican) and the Democrat Chad Brown.
In 1807, Assumption became the eighth parish of the Orleans Territory. Its history is rooted in its waterways and its large expanse of fertile soils ideal for farming. Settled in the middle 18th century by French and Spanish settlers, the area retains strong cultural ties to its past with conversational French still common among residents. Assumption was also a final destination for many of the French Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia between 1755 and 1764.
After the Confederacy forced the surrender of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in 1861, the Assumption Parish Police Jury appropriated $1,000 to provide uniforms for military volunteers against the Union. By contrast, Lafayette Parish contributed $6,000. Plaquemines Parish approved a gift of $10 to $15 per month for needy volunteer families.