Zwolle, Louisiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Town of Zwolle | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Nickname : Tamale Capital of the Universe | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Sabine |
| Area | 3.7 sq mi (9.6 km²) |
| - land | 3.2 sq mi (8.3 km²) |
| - water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km²), 10.81% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 203 ft (61.9 m) |
| Population | 1,783 (2000) |
| Density | 552.6 /sq mi (213.4 /km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code | 318 |
  Location of Zwolle in Louisiana
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 Location of Louisiana in the United States
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Zwolle is a town in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,783 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
The first inhabitants of the bowl shaped area of land upon which the town of Zwolle is situated were the Mound Builders. Lured here for protection from storms, the "bowl" offered them protection. Prehistoric people built the dome-shaped mounds that line the banks of Bayou Scie and Bayou San Miguel, which form a hollow circle around the townsite. Like all other Mound Builders they are believed to be ancestors of North American Indians found occupying the territory when the Europeans arrived.
The first English-speaking settlers arrived in Sabine Parish in 1824 coming by way of Natchitoches. These pioneer homeseekers came chiefly from Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In 1871, many more of these settlers moved in and acquired land under the homestead act. [1]
Arthur Stilwell built the Kansas City Southern Railroad from Kansas city to Port Arthur, Texas. He had reached Van Buren, Arkansas in 1893 when he ran out of funds. Stilwell went to Zwolle, Holland and met with a rich coffee merchant Jan De Goeijen (John De Queen). De Queen sold a $3,000,000 stock issue for Stilwell's railroad. De Queen was impressed with St. Joseph Catholic church, a product of the early Spanish missionaries which stood overlooking the town. De Queen was permitted to name it after his hometown and birthplace of Zwolle, a riverside city of currently over 115,000 population in the Netherlands. [2] The charter for the town of Zwolle was granted June 12, 1898.
[edit] Geography
Zwolle is located at (31.635134, -93.642560)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (11.99%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 1,783 people, 630 households, and 437 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.6 people per square mile (213.1/km²). There were 725 housing units at an average density of 224.7/sq mi (86.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 33.37% White, 47.17% African American, 16.38% Native American, 1.07% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.17% of the population.
There were 630 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the town the population was spread out with 35.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $15,843, and the median income for a family was $17,326. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $14,922 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,042. About 37.7% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 52.8% of those under age 18 and 35.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable People
The late Louisiana lieutenant governor, state auditor, and education superintendent William J. "Bill" Dodd graduated from Zwolle High School.
Legendary minister, D. L. Dykes, Jr., pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Shreveport, began his ministerial career at the denominational church in Zwolle.
[edit] Tamale Fiesta & Forestry Festival
The main attractions of the small town are the annual Zwolle Tamale Fiesta and Loggers and Forestry Festival.
The Fiesta is a deep rooted tradition celebrating hispanic culture around the community, and further markets the already notorious Zwolle Tamales.
The Forestry Festival is a celebration of the town's dominant horticultural industry.
[edit] High School Sports
Zwolle High School has had success in all of its sports. The teams are usually in the Class B ranking, but they have reached the Double A ranking several times. The basketball team has won 11 state titles and at one point the team had 7 straight titles from 1988 to 1994. The baseball team has won several district championships and are usually a top competitor in the state tournament. Right now the basketball team has several outstanding players such as Joevoskie Mitchell, Eric Cutright, and Darias Montgomery. The baseball team has two seniors, Toby Remedies and Christopher Remedies, looking forward the team's first State Title and they are also looking to extend their baseball career in the collegiate level.
[edit] References
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