Scott, Louisiana

History

In 1902, Gabby Anderson built a western style saloon to serve as "an exclusive, all- men's bar and a meeting place for old folks." His reason for the saloon is because he believed "this is where the west begins". However, it is believed that the slogan started because Scott was where eastern train fare rates ended and western train, referred to as the "West Line," fare rates began.

The rail line of the Union Pacific Railroad cuts the town in two. The main line used to be that of Southern Pacific Railway. The first settler of Scott was Alexander Delhomme, who took land in the northern part of the town. Delhomme owned the first hay-mowing machine, grit mill and cotton gin. By 1880, the train depot was completed and the town became a village. In 1907, the town was incorporated and named after J. B. Scott, who was Division Superintendent of Southern Pacific Railroad. The village became a town in 1960 and the town became a city in 1990.

On April 12, 2012, Scott, Louisiana was designated by the State Legislature of Louisiana as the "Boudin Capital of the World." This was no small feat and it meant that Broussard, Louisiana needed to relinquish the title [Broussard is now known as the "former Boudin Capital of the World" but has adopted the unofficial title of "Intergalactic Boudin Capital of Positive Infinity" ] and Jennings, Louisiana owns the title of "Boudin Capital of the Universe," while seemingly more prestigious titles, both Broussard and Jennings take a back seat to the boudinmania in Scott. The city of Scott's claim to the title is substantial, with more boudin purveyors per-capita than any other place in the state and a couple of the more prominent boudin makers to boot, no other city in Louisiana produces more links than Scott.

Geography

Scott is located at 30°14′17″N 92°5′31″W (30.237951, -92.091996).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, there were 7,870 people, 2,920 households, and 2,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 885.6 people per square mile (341.8/km²). There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of 354.9 per square mile (137.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.78% White, 11.56% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 2,920 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,320, and the median income for a family was $41,538. Males had a median income of $31,446 versus $22,229 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,469. About 11.9% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.

All of this information will change with the 2010 census date release.

For the 2nd year running, the City of Scott was recently awarded first place in district for the Clean City contest sponsored by the Federation of Louisiana Garden Clubs in 2011. The City won 2nd in the State contest for its division in 2010.

Notable Residents