Winn Parish, Louisiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Winn Parish, Louisiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Louisiana |
|
 Louisiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1852 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Winnfield |
| Largest city | Winnfield |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
957 sq mi (2,478 km²) 950 sq mi (2,462 km²) 6 sq mi (17 km²), 0.67% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
16,894 18/sq mi (7/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: Louisiana state legislator Walter Winn or a hero of the War of Mexico Winfield Scott | |
Winn Parish (French: Paroisse de Winn is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Winnfield. In 2000, its population was 16,894.
Contents |
[edit] History
Winn Parish was established in 1852 from lands which had belonged to the parishes of Catahoula, Natchitoches, and Rapides.
During the American Civil War, David Pierson, a young attorney, was elected to represent Winn Parish at the Secession Convention called by Governor Moore in Baton Rouge, LA in January 1861. Pierson voted against secession in all votes taken and refused, along with several others, to change his "no" vote at the end of the process when asked to do so in order that the vote for secession be made unanimous. This act of voting "no" has confused some into thinking that Winn Parish refused to secede from the Union and was a de facto Union enclave called the Free State of Winnin the Confederate state of Louisiana.[citation needed]
The Confederate States Army defeated a Union Army detachment sent to destroy the Drake Salt Works in the area.
After the American Civil War, bandits roamed the Natchez Trace or Harrisonburg Road that ran through the lower part of the parish. Among the worst were the West and Kimbrell Clan whose membership briefly included Frank and Jesse James. They preyed on migrants moving through the area. The later gang headed by Jesse James has been characterized as part of the guerilla insurgency mounted by Confederate veterans after the Civil War.[1]
In April 1873 white militia from Winn Parish joined in the Colfax Massacre in neighboring Grant Parish, putting down what they called a riot by freedmen as an aftermath to the disputed gubernatorial election of 1872. Columbus Nash, the former sheriff of Grant Parish, and head of the white militia, in 1874 formed the White League, whose first chapter was made up of members of white militia from Grant, Winn and Rapides parishes. Chapters of the White League formed in other rural areas of the state. The paramilitary group operated openly to violently restore white supremacy, overthrow Republican rule and disfranchise freedmen, in what has been described as the second stage of insurgency after the Civil War.[2] They were instrumental in white Democrats' regaining control of the state legislature in Louisiana in the 1870s.[3][4]
Winn Parish is the traditional home of the former Long Democratic political dynasty. It is the birthplace of Huey Long, Earl Kemp Long, and Oscar K. Allen, former governors of Louisiana. Earl Long is buried in a public square in Winnfield, the site of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame, which opened in 1993.
[edit] Geography
The parish has a total area of 957 square miles (2,478 km²), of which, 950 square miles (2,462 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (17 km²) of it (0.67%) is water.
[edit] Major highways
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Highway 84
U.S. Highway 167
Louisiana Highway 34
Louisiana Highway 126
Louisiana Highway 127
Louisiana Highway 156
Louisiana Highway 471
Louisiana Highway 499
Louisiana Highway 501
Louisiana Highway 505
Louisiana Highway 1228
[edit] Adjacent parishes
- Jackson Parish (north)
- Caldwell Parish (northeast)
- La Salle Parish (southeast)
- Grant Parish (south)
- Natchitoches Parish (west)
- Bienville Parish (northwest)
[edit] Demographics
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 9,648 |
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| 1910 | 18,357 | 90.3% | |
| 1920 | 16,119 | −12.2% | |
| 1930 | 14,766 | −8.4% | |
| 1940 | 16,923 | 14.6% | |
| 1950 | 16,119 | −4.8% | |
| 1960 | 16,034 | −0.5% | |
| 1970 | 16,369 | 2.1% | |
| 1980 | 17,253 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 16,269 | −5.7% | |
| 2000 | 16,894 | 3.8% | |
| Est. 2006 | 15,835 | [5] | −6.3% |
| Winn Parish Census Data[6] | |||
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 16,894 people, 5,930 households, and 4,234 families residing in the parish. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 7,502 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 66.27% White, 32.03% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,930 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.80% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the parish the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 110.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.20 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $25,462, and the median income for a family was $31,513. Males had a median income of $29,094 versus $17,939 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $11,794. About 17.00% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.40% of those under age 18 and 24.20% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Communities
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated areas
- Joyce
- Saint Maurice
- Tannehill
[edit] Education
Winn Parish School Board operates local public schools.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ T.J. Stiles, Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War, New York: Vintage Books, paperback 2003
- ^ [http://www.libertychapelcemetery.org/files/hogue-colfax.pdf James K. Hogue, "The 1873 Battle of Colfax: Paramilitarism and Counterrevolution in Louisiana", 6 Nov 1997; rev.27 Jun 2006, pp.1-3
- ^ Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877, New York: Perennial Classics, Paperback, 2002, pp.550-551
- ^ Nicholas Lemann, Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, New York: Farrar Strauss & Giroux, paperback, 2007, pp.24-25, 28-29
- ^ United States Census Bureau. Winn Parish Quickfacts. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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