Pointe à la Hache is an unincorporated village and place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. [1] [2] Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the village has been the seat for Plaquemines Parish since the formation of the parish.
History
Native American settlement in the area goes back to unknown dates. The earliest European setllement in the area was by the French about 1700. The name "Pointe à la Hache" is French for "cape of the axe".
Plaquemines Parish was one of the original 19 divisions of the Territory of Orleans established in 1807; after Louisiana achieved U.S. statehood in 1812 one of the original state parishes.
The 1915 New Orleans Hurricane devastated the area, busting levees and flooding the region. 31 died in Pointe à la Hache. [1] The Parish Courthouse was destroyed, but some of its material was salvaged for reuse in the new Courthouse completed the same year.
The 1930 census showed the town with a population of 404.
In 1965 Hurricane Betsy damaged the area, flooding the courthouse. [Book "Leander Perez: Boss of the Delta" by Glen Jeansonne, p. 354]
During January 12, 2002 the parish courthouse was severely damaged by arson. Since then, the parish government has used several temporary buildings in Belle Chasse. The Plaquemines Parish Council has proposed to move the parish seat three times, but all were rejected by the voters.
Pointe à la Hache was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina at the end of August, 2005.
As of mid 2009, only a small number of people have returned to live full time here.
References
- ^ "Point à la Hache, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes), City Data, 2007, webpage: C-PlHat.
- ^ "Census 2000 Data for the State of Louisiana" (town list), US Census Bureau, May 2003, webpage: C2000-LA.
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