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61-641: Georgia Ann Hill was born in Opelousas, Louisiana , on 12 May 1879. She was brought up first by an older sister, then in a convent. She moved to Kansas when she was 18, working as a governess . She married Morgan Robinson there, and the couple moved to Colorado , and then to Los Angeles . In 1916, when the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was facing a shortage of officers after many enlisted to fight in World War I , Robinson

122-531: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending

183-693: A minor league baseball franchise that was based in Opelousas in 1907, 1932 and 1934–1941. The Indians were members of the Gulf Coast League (1907) and Evangeline League (1934–1941). The team played at Elementary School Park. The Opelousas Orphans played a portion of the 1932 season in the Cotton States League . Opelousas was an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (1935–1937, 1939). Musician Billy Cobham recorded

244-476: A French Creole, founded Port Barre . His ancestors came from the French West Indies, probably after the revolution in which Haiti ( St. Domingue ) became independent. Jim Bowie and his family were said to have settled in the area circa 1813. In 1805, Opelousas became the seat of the newly formed St. Landry Parish – named after the church located there and in honor of Saint Landry – the parish

305-434: A chimney and its foundation. The one-story mansion was located on the corner of Liberty and Grolee Streets, just west of the heart of town. An observation tower was removed from the top of the residence in the early 1900s, but the remainder of the exterior was identical to its original construction in the 1850s. The entire roof section of heavy rafters was held in place by thousands of wooden pegs; not one nail could be found in

366-398: A contribution to the town's charity ball. The folk-rock singer Lucinda Williams mentions Opelousas in the song "Concrete and Barbed Wire" from her critically acclaimed album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road . Singer-songwriter and comedian Henry Phillips mentions Opelousas as one of the venues in his song "I'm In Minneapolis (You're In Hollywood)"'. Parish seat A county seat

427-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in

488-483: A household in the city was $ 14,717, and for a family was $ 19,966. Males had a median income of $ 24,588 versus $ 17,104 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 9,957. About 37.7% of families and 43.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 57.2% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over. Opelousas takes its name from the Native American tribe Opelousa who had occupied

549-450: A policewoman, such as being between age 30–44, being married, and holding a degree in education or nursing. Robinson was thirty-six years old, married, and had a degree in nursing, so she met all these requirements. On 10 June 1919, Robinson was officially sworn in as a policewoman. Robinson was the first Black woman to be sworn into the LAPD, and one of the first African American policewomen in

610-673: A population of 15,786, a 6.53 percent decline since the 2010 census, which had recorded a population of 16,634. Opelousas is the principal city for the Opelousas- Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area , which had an estimated population of 80,808 in 2020. Opelousas is also the fourth largest city in the Lafayette - Acadiana Combined Statistical Area , which has a population of 537,947. Historically an area of settlement by French and Spanish Creoles , Creoles of color , and Acadians , Opelousas

671-406: A song called "Opelousas" on his 1978 album Simplicity of Expression – Depth of Thought ( Columbia Records JC 35457). The 1980s synthpop musician Thomas Dolby mentions Opelousas in the song " I Love You Goodbye " from his 1992 album Astronauts & Heretics . The narrator of the song describes being arrested by a sheriff who offers to let him go in exchange for a bribe, under the guise of

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732-483: Is also home to Tony Chachere , a Louisiana spice company with a worldwide reach. The company makes a variety of seasoning blends, sauces, marinades, and other products. In September 1999, Wal-Mart opened a large distribution center just north of the city. It is generating an $ 89 million impact per year to the area, employing over 600 full-time workers. Opelousas was home to the Opelousas Indians ,

793-593: Is an administrative center, seat of government , or capital city of a county or civil parish . The term is in use in five countries: Canada , China , Hungary , Romania , and the United States . An equivalent term, shire town , is used in the U.S. state of Vermont and in several other English-speaking jurisdictions, such as Venezuela . In Canada , the provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below

854-529: Is home to KOCZ-LP , a low power community radio station owned and operated by the Southern Development Foundation. The station was built by numerous volunteers from Opelousas and around the country at the third Prometheus Radio Project barnraising. KOCZ broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners now at 92.9. It was originally on 103.7, but had to move due to a full-power station being licensed to 103.7. Opelousas

915-524: Is home to The Mix KOGM 107.1FM, which is owned by KSLO Broadcasting, Inc. There are two TV stations based in Opelousas, KDCG-CD (Class A Digital) TV Channel 22 and K39JV, another low power on channel 39. The primary industries in Opelousas are agriculture, oil, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail. The horse racing track Evangeline Downs relocated to Opelousas from its former home in Carencro, Louisiana , in 2003. It employs over 600 workers. Opelousas

976-409: Is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in the county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of

1037-618: Is the center of zydeco music. It celebrates its heritage at the Creoles of Color Heritage Folklife Center, one of the destinations on the new Louisiana African-American Heritage Trail . It is also the location of the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino . The city calls itself "the spice capital of the world", with production and sale of seasonings such as Tony Chachere 's products, Targil Seasonings, Savoie's cajun meats and products, and LouAna Cooking Oil. During

1098-480: Is the heart of a traditional Catholic region of French, Spanish, Canadian, and French West Indian ancestry. Catholic families in Louisiana took in more than 2,000 mostly Catholic orphans to live in their rural farming communities. In the year 1920, segregation at St Landry Catholic Church led local Black Catholics to establish their own parish, Holy Ghost . It has since grown to become the largest Black parish in

1159-420: The hospital for treatment. Over the course of her career she also administered first aid to a juror who collapsed in court, rescued kidnapped babies, and searched for kidnapped girls. As an official policewoman, Robinson was paid for her work. However, she was not given a gun, handcuffs, or a police car. Nevertheless, she still succeeded in taking people to jail when the need arose. Robinson's police career

1220-514: The 19th century created economic problems, worsened by the lack of employment diversity. In 1862, after Baton Rouge fell to the Union troops during the Civil War , Opelousas was designated the state capital for nine months. The governor's mansion in Opelousas, which was the oldest remaining governor's mansion in Louisiana, was the victim of arson on July 14, 2016, and the structure was reduced to

1281-628: The Black Codes, such police regulations restricted the freedoms and personal autonomy of freedmen after the Civil War in the South. In 1880, the railroad reached Opelousas. In the late 19th century, New York City social services agencies arranged for resettlement of Catholic orphan children by sending them to western rural areas, including Opelousas, in Louisiana and other states. At least three Orphan Trains reached this city before 1929. Opelousas

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1342-574: The Opelousas area until his successor, Luis de Unzaga , nullified that order and allowed Acadians to settle at the Opelousas. The first official land grant was made in 1782. Numerous settlers: French, Spanish, Creoles , and Acadians – mainly from the Attakapas Territory – came to the Opelousas Territory and acquired land grants. By the mid-1780s, land was granted at the site of contemporary Opelousas. (Some people confuse

1403-712: The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival. Usually held the Saturday before Labor Day at Zydeco Park in Plaisance , the festival features a day of performances by Zydeco musicians, with the goal of keeping the genre alive. Additional annual events include: Opelousas is home to several public and private schools. Opelousas has many public high schools, which are Opelousas Senior High, Northwest High School, and Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts . Opelousas Junior High serves as

1464-545: The South's recovery. Social tensions were high during Reconstruction. In 1868, in what is known as the Opelousas massacre , whites killed 27 African Americans in a mass execution; they had been captured in a protest. Whites continued to attack blacks on sight for days. An estimated additional 23 to 200–300 freedmen were killed during this period. This series of murders comprised one of the single worst instances of Reconstruction violence in south Louisiana. Following this, Opelousas in 1872 enacted ordinances that greatly restricted

1525-947: The United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of

1586-580: The United States. In May 1927, Opelousas accepted thousands of refugees following the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 in the Mississippi Delta. Heavy rains in northern and midwestern areas caused intense flooding in areas of Mississippi , Arkansas , and Louisiana downstream, especially after levées near Moreauville , Cecilia , and Melville collapsed. More than 81% of St. Landry Parish suffered some flooding, with 77% of

1647-532: The area before European contact. French traders, called coureurs de bois (forest trappers and hunters), arrived in the Opelousas area in the early 1740s to trade with the Opelousas Indians. The French encouraged immigration to the Opelousas Post before they ceded Louisiana to Spain in 1762. Governor Jean-Jacques d’Abbadie opened the "Opelousas Country" to settlers in 1763. An official post

1708-495: The area middle school. The city has seven public elementary schools. It is also home to one of the campuses of South Louisiana Community College . The private schools are religiously based, including Opelousas Catholic School , Westminster Christian Academy, Apostolic Christian Academy, New Hope Christian Academy, and Family Worship Christian Academy. Opelousas is part of the Lafayette television and radio markets. The city

1769-454: The attic. Plans had been made to restore the building to some of its former splendor. The capital was moved again in 1863, this time to Shreveport , when Union troops occupied Opelousas. During Reconstruction , the state government operated from New Orleans . After the defeat of the South and emancipation of slaves, many whites had difficulty accepting the changed conditions, especially as economic problems and dependence on agriculture slowed

1830-512: The black students could participate in the ceremony equally with the white students. Robinson also worked with H. Claude Hudson to desegregate Venice Beach by trying to put an end to “The Ink Spot,” the black section of the beach. She married Morgan Robinson in Kansas two weeks after they met. In 1906, Robinson gave birth to their daughter, Marian. She is said to have often brought underprivileged women and children home with her for dinner. Robinson

1891-493: The city limits of Opelousas.  The racial makeup of the city was 77.04% Black, 20.3% White, .04% Native American, .05% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, .43% Other Race, 1.08% two or more races, and 1.06% was Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2010 United States Census , 16,634 people resided in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 74.8% Black, 21.9% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race and 1.0% from two or more races; 1.2%

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1952-526: The counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when the Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of

2013-438: The country. Robinson worked with the first white female policewoman, Alice Stebbins Wells . The LAPD saw the hiring of black women as a type of police reform , because they could deal with black female offenders. Thus, Robinson primarily worked on juvenile and homicide cases, as well as cases involving black women. Instead of arresting the women and girls she came in contact with, Robinson often sent them to social services. This

2074-418: The county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where the county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in

2135-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for

2196-514: The early Creole families. (This use of Creole meant ethnic French and Spanish people who were born in Louisiana. Later Louisiana Creole was a term applied to anyone with French, Spanish, and Canadian ancestry. Creoles of color were mostly assigned to mixed-race people, descended primarily from Native Americans, African-Americans, and ethnic French, with other heritage in more recent years.) Other early French Creole families were Roy, Barre, Guenard, Decuir, and Bail. In 1820, Alex Charles Barre, also

2257-402: The freedoms of black Americans. These codes required blacks to have a written pass from their employer to enter the town and to state the duration of their visit. Blacks were not allowed on the streets after a 10 pm curfew; they could neither own a house nor reside in the town, unless they were employed by a white person, and they were not allowed in the town after 3 pm on Sundays. Like

2318-424: The imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of a county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of

2379-585: The increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized the term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan

2440-625: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford

2501-478: The inhabitants directly affected. People in more southern areas of Louisiana, especially those communities along Bayou Teche , were forced to flee their homes for areas that suffered less damage. By May 20, over 5,700 refugees were registered in Opelousas, which had a population of only 6,000 people. Many of the refugees later returned to their homes and began the rebuilding process. During the tenure of Parish Sheriff Cat Doucet from 1936 to 1940 and 1952 to 1968,

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2562-758: The later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of a total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With

2623-751: The name of this Indian tribe and territory, Opelousas, with that of the Appaloosa horse. But there is no connection; the name for the Appaloosa breed is derived from Palouse , a river named by the Nez Perce Northwestern Plains Indians.) After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 to France who had regained it in 1800, settlers continued to migrate here from St. Martinville . LeBon, Prejean, Thibodaux, Esprit, Nezat, Hebert, Babineaux, Mouton, and Provost were some of

2684-492: The population. In 2000, 89.1% of the population over the age of five spoke English at home, 9.7% of the population spoke French or Cajun , and 0.7% spoke Louisiana Creole French . Of the 8,699 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were married couples living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were not families; 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who

2745-775: The provincial level, and thus county seats. In the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in the People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized

2806-656: The section of Opelousas along Highway 190 was a haven of gambling and prostitution. Doucet told historian Michael Kurtz that, with the return of Earl Long to the governorship in 1956, Doucet could bring back brothels and casinos and get a take of the proceeds. The annual Yambilee Festival in Opelousas began in 1946. The harvest festival took place on the last weekend in October. Activities included agricultural competitions, carnival rides, pageants, and parades with floats. John F. Kennedy once attended. The festival has since been cancelled. Since 1982, Opelousas has hosted

2867-777: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of

2928-421: The tenure of Sheriff Cat Doucet , from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1952 to 1968, the section of Opelousas along Highway 190 was a haven of gambling and prostitution, the profits from which he skimmed a take. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 15,786 people, 6,248 households, and 3,527 families residing in the city. According to the 2018 United States Census estimate, 16,126 people reside within

2989-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of

3050-461: The two official languages of English and French. The city was incorporated by legislative act on February 14, 1821. European and American settlement was based on plantation agriculture, and both groups brought or purchased numerous enslaved Africans and African Americans to work as laborers in cotton cultivation. African Americans influenced all cultures as the people created a "creolized" cuisine and music. The long decline of cotton prices throughout

3111-624: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,

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3172-448: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.24. In the city, the population was distributed as 30.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males. The median income for

3233-526: Was Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, 22,860 people, 8,699 households, and 5,663 families resided in the city. The population density was 3,240.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,251.0/km ). The 9,783 housing units averaged 1,386.6 per square mile (535.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 69.12% African American, 29.30% White, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 0.88% of

3294-473: Was also known as the Imperial Parish of Louisiana. The year 1806 marked the beginning of significant construction in Opelousas. The first courthouse was constructed in the middle of the town. Later in 1806, Louisiana Memorial United Methodist Church was founded. It was the first Methodist church in Louisiana. Five years later, the first St. Landry Parish Police Jury met in Opelousas, keeping minutes in

3355-651: Was an active suffragist . In LA, Robinson was the first treasurer of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter. She also helped found the Sojourner Truth Home, which focused on helping new black, female LA residents create strong connections in the city, and volunteered with the Eastside Shelter for Women and Girls. Robinson single-handedly desegregated her daughter's high school graduation, ensuring

3416-435: Was an early attempt at police reform, and one of the first times the LAPD sought to help the black community. Robinson often allowed youth she met on the job to temporarily stay at her own home when they had nowhere else to go. Though juvenile cases were her specialty, Robinson dealt with any situation she encountered on the job. When there was a car crash on 18 September 1918, Robinson rescued two injured women and sent them to

3477-479: Was cut short in 1928, when a prisoner banged her head into jail bars, causing a head injury so severe that she permanently lost her sight. Twelve years after she began her career with the LAPD, Robinson retired. I have no regrets. I didn't need my eyes any longer. I had seen all there was to see. — Georgia Robinson, 1954 Robinson was involved in activism throughout her life. As a young woman in Colorado, she

3538-573: Was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of the United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government

3599-458: Was established in 1764; Frenchman Louis Gérard Pellerin was appointed as the first commandant on July 1, 1764. By 1766, Saint Landry Catholic Church was built. In 1769, about 100 families, mostly French, were living in the post. Don Alejandro O'Reilly , Spanish governor of Louisiana, issued a land ordinance to allow settlers in the frontier of the Opelousas Territory to acquire land grants. However, O’Reilly forbade Acadians from settling in

3660-470: Was interviewed by Ebony Magazine in 1954. She died in Los Angeles on 21 September 1961. Opelousas, Louisiana Opelousas (French: Les Opélousas ; Spanish: Los Opeluzás ) is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish , Louisiana , United States . Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 were constructed with a junction here. According to the 2020 census , Opelousas has

3721-617: Was recruited to leave her community work to join LAPD as a volunteer. She worked as a jail matron for three years. Around this time, African American club women were working to get black women hired by the police. Organizations like the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs believed having black female police officers would both protect black women and girls from white male violence and would help combat harmful stereotypes about black women being more sexually active/available. There were strict requirements for becoming

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