Slidell, Louisiana

Geography Slidell is located at 30°16'45" North, 89°46'40" West (30.279040, -89.777744)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²). 30.5 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.64% water.

History In 1882, the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad began construction on a new railroad connecting New Orleans to Cincinnati, Ohio through Meridian, Mississippi. One of the building camps on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain continued to expand well after the completion of the railroad, and was eventually chartered as a city by the Louisiana State Legislature[?] in 1888.

Slidell takes its name from John Slidell[?], Confederate revolutionary, major figure in the Trent Affair[?], and father-in-law to Baron Erlanger[?], head of the banking syndicate which financed the railroad. Col. Leon Fremeaux[?] drew up the original plans for the city, naming the largest street for Erlanger and a smaller for himself. Ironically, Fremeaux Avenue is now a major artery, far overshadowing Erlanger Avenue.

Around 1910, Slidell began a period of economic and industrial growth. A large creosote plant was built, and Slidell became a major producer of bricks. A lumber mill and shipyard were also built. With the coming of Interstates 10 and 12, Slidell found itself at a major crossroads, becoming a popular overnight stop for travelers who did not want to stay in New Orleans.

With the advent of the U.S. space program the 1960s, the New Orleans area became a hotbed of activity. The opening of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility[?], a computer center on Gause Boulevard, and the John C. Stennis Space Center[?] in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi nearly tripled Slidell's population over a period of ten years, as Slidell found itself becoming a major suburb.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 25,695 people, 9,480 households, and 7,157 families residing in the city. The population density is 841.5/km² (2,178.5/mi²). There are 10,133 housing units at an average density of 331.8/km² (859.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 83.13% White, 13.56% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.67% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 9,480 households out of which 36.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% are married couples living together, 14.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% are non-families. 20.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.09.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $42,856, and the median income for a family is $48,298. Males have a median income of $40,211 versus $26,050 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,947. 11.8% of the population and 9.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 17.6% are under the age of 18 and 7.9% are 65 or older.

Famous people from Slidell

• Tony Canzoneri world boxing champion

External Links The City of Slidell's official web site (http://www.slidell.la.us)