Jena, Louisiana

Jena is a town in, and the parish seat of, La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,155 at the 2020 census.

History
The site where Jena stands today began to attract settlers in 1802. The Hemphills family entered a considerable block of land and settled about two miles below the present town of Jena. Hemps Creek and post office were named after this family. This beautiful ever-running creek had fertile bottom and hammock lands for cultivation and was an excellent range for both cattle and hogs, with wild game and fish being very abundant.

Later, in the middle 1850s, Benjamin Baker, assisted by his father, a native of Pennsylvania, built a watermill on Hemps Creek, about three miles below the present town of Jena. The mill was equipped to make corn meal and to gin cotton. This area soon became a favorite trading stop for the area farmers, and was the site of two general stores and a post office.

Hemps Creek post office was established in the late 1850s with Isaac L. Baker as the first postmaster. The mail rider boarded with Mr. Baker and made alternate weekly trips to Harrisonburg and Alexandria on horseback. In 1869, the first school house was built, and in 1892, the Jena Seminary opened, marking the beginning of secondary education in what is now LaSalle Parish. Mr. James Forsythe who came to Hemps Creek in 1861 having subsequently served with distinction in the Confederate Army returned in 1865 and established his home here. Being an educated man and having fine qualities of leadership, he was chosen as teacher of Hemps Creek School, a position he held until 1871.

In the year of 1871, it was requested from the post office department that “Creek” and “Bayou” be removed from the names of all post offices. Mr. Andrew Forsythe visiting his brother, James Forsythe from Jena, Illinois suggested Jena, his hometown, which was named for Jena, Germany. Mr. James Forsythe submitted this name to the post office department and it was accepted. Thus, the name Jena came from Germany by way of Illinois.

The Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad operated its first train into Jena on December 31, 1893, and on May 1, 1904, the first passenger train arrived. A small hotel was operated nearby, and in 1905, the “Jena Times” newspaper was founded.

On October 2, 1918, Mrs. Lula V. Coleman was made a Deputy Sheriff. It was her opinion that she was the first female sheriff in the United States. On March 28, 1920, she was appointed to head the town administration as mayor, by Governor John M. Parker. Mrs. Coleman has the distinction of being the only woman ever to serve as mayor of Jena, and was the first female to hold the office of mayor in Louisiana and possibly even the United States.

In September 2006, Jena became the focus of national news stories in the United States for a racial controversy involving its school system and a group of students known as the Jena Six.

Geography
Jena is at 31.69°N, -92.12472°W (31.689993, -92.124781) and has an elevation of 167 ft.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 5.4 sqmi, all land.

Surrounding communities
Residents of these rural communities frequent Jena for school, work, and shopping.
 * Midway
 * Olla, Louisiana
 * Jonesville, Louisiana
 * Trout, Louisiana
 * Nebo
 * Summerville
 * Good Pine
 * Possum Point
 * Belah
 * Fellowship
 * White Sulphur Spring
 * Searcy
 * Whitehall
 * Rhinehart

Climate
This region experiences hot summers with rainy days, with no average monthly temperatures above 92 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Jena has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

There are mild winters during which intense rainfall occurs. It has hot, rainy summers with moderate rainfall through all year months.

Snow in Jena is possible in winter months.

Average annual precipitation is 59.4 in. There are on annual average 76 days with measurable precipitation.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 4,155 people, 1,169 households, and 884 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,971 people, 1,135 households, and 749 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 235.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 85.56% White, 12.02% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 1,135 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were 21 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $18,317 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,761. About 9.9% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Newspaper

 * The Jena Times

Education
The La Salle Parish School Board is located in Jena.

The following schools serve Jena:
 * Jena High School, 9–12 (Jena)
 * Jena Junior High School, 6,7, & 8 (Jena)
 * Goodpine Middle School, 3,4, & 5 (Trout/Goodpine)
 * Jena Elementary School, PreK - 2 (Jena)
 * Fellowship Elementary School, Pre-K-8 (Belah)
 * Nebo Elementary School, PreK-8 (Nebo)
 * Temple Christian Academy, Private PreK-8 (Jena)

Infrastructure

 * Hospital Service District #2 of LaSalle Parish, also known as LaSalle General Hospital, is a 60-bed medical facility, with a 24-hour emergency department, a home health, a 101-bed nursing home, and physical therapy.
 * Universal Plant Services built a 24,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Jena. The full-service machining plant represents a $3.9 million capital investment and provides welding, fabrication, equipment overhaul and repair services for pipeline distribution systems and petrochemical processing plants.
 * LaSalle Detention Center is an immigration detention facility of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, operated by the GEO Group and located on 830 Pinehill Road, about two miles northwest of downtown Jena and it has a capacity of over 1160 detainees.

Notable people

 * Woodie Flowers, MIT professor and co-founder of FIRST
 * Mike Francis, prominent businessman and former Louisiana Republican state chairman; born in Jena
 * Jason Hatcher, former NFL football player for the Washington Commanders
 * Jay F. Honeycutt, former director of the Kennedy Space Center
 * Speedy O. Long (1928–2006), a member of the Long political dynasty
 * Thomas D. "Tommy" Wright, former state representative from Jena