A Louisiana parish defined by the Mississippi River, nuclear power, and a massive prison.

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A Louisiana parish defined by the Mississippi River, nuclear power, and a massive prison.
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In short: West Feliciana Parish is a unique corner of Louisiana where the Mississippi River shapes both the landscape and the local economy. From the sprawling Louisiana State Penitentiary to a nuclear power station that fuels the state, this historic parish balances industrial might with a complex, evolving political and social identity.

Established in 1824 after the original Feliciana Parish was split to accommodate population growth, West Feliciana Parish occupies a strategic position along the Mississippi River. Its history is deeply tied to the river, which once claimed the original Bayou Sara settlement founded by French monks in the late 17th century. Today, the parish covers 426 square miles, with roughly 5.3 percent of its area consisting of water. This geography has long defined the region, which transitioned through French, Spanish, and British control before becoming part of the United States.

The modern parish is home to two massive, distinct institutions that shape its character: the River Bend Nuclear Generating Station and the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The nuclear plant, operated by Entergy Nuclear, provides about 10 percent of Louisiana's total electric power. Meanwhile, the penitentiary at Angola occupies 18,000 acres in a river bend. This facility is so large that its population significantly impacts parish demographics; in 2007, the state estimated that 5,000 of the parish's 15,318 residents were prisoners held at the site.

Politically and socially, the parish has undergone significant shifts. Historically a Democratic stronghold, it saw white conservative voters begin to align with the Republican Party following federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s. By the 2000s, the parish consistently supported Republican presidential candidates. The local government also modernized in 2013, replacing its traditional police jury system with a Home Rule Charter. This transition, overseen by the first Parish President Kevin Couhig, reflects the ongoing efforts of the parish seat, St. Francisville, to manage infrastructure and economic development in a rapidly changing landscape.

The parish's demographic profile is as varied as its history. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,310, with a racial makeup split between non-Hispanic White and Black or African American residents. Beyond its industrial and political life, the area has served as a cultural touchstone, notably appearing as the setting for Walker Percy's final novel, The Thanatos Syndrome, which draws on the region's unique loess soil and the presence of the state penitentiary.

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