Rayville, Louisiana

32°28′25″N 91°45′27″W / 32.47361°N 91.75750°W / 32.47361; -91.75750CountryUnited StatesStateLouisianaParishRichlandGovernment • MayorHarry Lewis (D)

Police Chief Willie Lee Robinson, Sr. (D)
Rayville City Council: James "Jay" Brakefield (No Party)
Paula Buie Crumpton (D)

Debra K. James (D)Area • Total2.34 sq mi (6.06 km²) • Land2.31 sq mi (5.98 km²) • Water0.03 sq mi (0.08 km²)Elevation82 ft (25 m)Population • Total3,347 • Density1,448.92/sq mi (559.52/km²)Time zoneUTC-6 (CST) • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)ZIP CodeArea code318FIPS code22-63680Websitewww.townofrayville.com

Rayville is a town in and the parish seat of Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States.^[2] The population, which is 69 percent African American, was 4,234 at the 2000 census, but it had declined by nearly 13 percent in 2010 to 3,695.^[3]

The City Hall, located next to the U.S. Post Office across from U.S. Highway 80, is named for former Rayville Mayor Joe Kalil (1922–1996).

History

Rayville was named for John Ray.

Geography

Rayville is located at 32°28′25″N 91°45′27″W / 32.47361°N 91.75750°W / 32.47361; -91.75750 (32.473580, -91.757387).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (5.9 km²), of which 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (1.32%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	106		—
1880	316		198.1%
1890	366		15.8%
1910	1,079		—
1920	1,499		38.9%
1930	2,976		98.5%
1940	2,412		−19.0%
1950	3,138		30.1%
1960	4,052		29.1%
1970	3,962		−2.2%
1980	4,610		16.4%
1990	4,411		−4.3%
2000	4,234		−4.0%
2010	3,695		−12.7%
2020	3,347		−9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

Rayville racial composition as of 2020^[6]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	727	21.72%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,424	72.42%
Native American	8	0.24%
Asian	19	0.57%
Other/Mixed	108	3.23%
Hispanic or Latino	61	1.82%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,347 people, 1,248 households, and 892 families residing in the town.

Education

Public schools in Richland Parish are operated by the Richland Parish School Board. Three campuses serve the town of Rayville - Rayville Elementary School (Grades PK-6), Rayville Junior High School (Grades 7-8), and Rayville High School (Grades 9-12). Rayville is also served by Riverfield Academy (Grades PK-12) a non-denominational private school.

Notable people

• Ralph Abraham, was elected in the 114th Congress to serve the 5th Congressional District of LA.
• Garland Boyette, football player
• Reggie Burnette, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player
• Charles "Bubba" Chaney, state representative from Rayville
• Benny Gay Christian, state representative from Rayville, 1964 to 1974
• Bunny Greenhouse, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower
• Elvin Hayes, Hall of Fame basketball player
• Edgar Jones, Baltimore Ravens football player
• Ernie Ladd, professional wrestler and football player who played for the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Houston Oilers. Inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995. He attended Grambling State University.
• Roosevelt Potts, Indianapolis Colts
• Stanley Williams, one of the early leaders of the Crips.

Gallery

See also

• KMYY
• Poplar Chapel AME Church
• St. David's Episcopal Church (Rayville, Louisiana)

References

External links

• Town of Rayville official website