Sicily Island, Louisiana Facts for Kids

"Sicily Island" redirects here. For the island in Italy, see Sicily.

Quick facts for kids Sicily Island, Louisiana
Village

Location of Sicily Island in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Catahoula
Area
• Total	0.57 sq mi (1.49 km²)
• Land	0.57 sq mi (1.49 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	366
• Density	637.63/sq mi (246.05/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	318
FIPS code	22-70245

Sicily Island is a village in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 336 at the 2020 census.

Geography
History
Demographics
- 2020 census
Notable people
Photo gallery
See also

Geography

Sicily Island is located in northeastern Catahoula Parish at 31°50′48″N 91°39′32″W / 31.84667°N 91.65889°W / 31.84667; -91.65889 (31.846573, -91.658925). U.S. Route 425 passes through the village, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Winnsboro and southeast 30 miles (48 km) to Natchez, Mississippi. Louisiana State Highway 8 leads southwest 11 miles (18 km) to Harrisonburg, the Catahoula Parish seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Sicily Island has a total area of 0.58 square miles (1.49 km²), all land. Despite its name, Sicily Island is not an island; instead, nearby lakes and rivers gave the area a shape early settlers considered reminiscent of the island of Sicily.

History

In the early 1700s, the area that would become Sicily Island was the site of a Natchez settlement. In January 1731, towards the end of the Natchez Revolt, French forces besieged the Natchez fort, compelling the surrender of 45 men and 450 women and children. Although the bulk of the Natchez leaders and warriors escaped, the siege marked the last major engagement of the war.

In 1881, a Jewish agricultural colony was created in Sicily Island with the support of the Am Olam organization and the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society. The colony was mostly made up of immigrants from Yelisavetgrad who were fleeing the pogroms that began that same year. By 1882, the colony was completely disbanded as the Mississippi River flooded, destroying most farms.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1960	761	—
1970	630	−17.2%
1980	691	9.7%
1990	421	−39.1%
2000	453	7.6%
2010	526	16.1%
2020	366	−30.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

**Sicily Island, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	203	180	96	44.81%	34.22%	26.23%
Black or African American alone (NH)	245	336	251	54.08%	63.88%	68.58%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	0	0	2	0.00%	0.00%	0.55%
Asian alone (NH)	0	1	0	0.00%	0.19%	0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	0	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Other Race alone (NH)	0	0	4	0.00%	0.00%	1.09%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1	7	10	0.22%	1.33%	2.73%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4	2	3	0.88%	0.38%	0.82%
Total	453	526	366	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Notable people

Cecil R. Blair, Louisiana State Senator from Rapides Parish, grew up in Sicily Island and graduated from Sicily Island High School in 1934.
S. S. DeWitt, member of the Louisiana House from 1964-1972 from Tensas Parish, was born in Sicily Island and graduated from Sicily Island High School in 1931.
J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert, cotton planter, former member of both the Louisiana House of Representatives (1972–1976) and the Louisiana State Senate (1960–1972), and former director of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, resided in Sicily Island until his death in 2014.
Joe Raymond Peace, football coach
William S. Peck, Jr., member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1956 to 1964
William S. Peck, Sr., member of the Louisiana House from 1920 to 1928
Sonny Simmons, jazz musician, born in Sicily Island in 1933
Coy Wilton Wynn, news correspondent for Associated Press and Time magazine
Todd Guice graduated from Sicily Island High School and served as President of the LHSAA. He is currently the Superintendent of the Ouachita Parish School System.