Winnfield, Louisiana

City of Winnfield
City
Downtown Winnfield is known for its wide streets.
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Winn
Elevation 128 ft (39 m)
Coordinates
Area 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2)
 - land 3.3 sq mi (9 km2)
 - water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population 5,749 (2000)
Density 1,733.4 / sq mi (669.3 / km2)
Government City Council/Mayor
Mayor Mayor
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 71483
Area code 318
Location of Winnfield in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Website: http://www.cityofwinnfield.com

Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.[2]

Contents

Geography

Winnfield is located at (31.923339, -92.640308)[3] and has an elevation of 128 feet (39.0 m)[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), all land.

North and west of Winnfield, Saline Bayou, a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System waterway, offers blackwater canoeing as well as fishing.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 5,749 people, 2,172 households, and 1,446 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,733.4 people per square mile (668.6/km²). There were 2,554 housing units at an average density of 770.1 per square mile (297.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.29% White, 49.83% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 2,172 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,342, and the median income for a family was $25,201. Males had a median income of $27,123 versus $14,267 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,180. About 25.2% of families and 31.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.5% of those under age 18 and 28.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

When Winn Parish was officially formed by the state legislature in 1852, Winnfield was established as the parish seat. During the Civil War, the area around Winnfield was the site of some minor skirmishes. Confederate forces defeated a Union detachment sent to destroy the salt works in the area. Many Civil War bandits made the region their home. Among these were the West and Kimbrill Clans which at one time included the Frank & Jesse James.

Winnfield was the home of three Louisiana governors: Huey "Kingfish" Long, Oscar K. Allen and Earl K. Long. Huey became Governor, U.S. Senator, and challenged Franklin Roosevelt for Presidency in 1932. He was killed in 1935. O.K. Allen was elected governor in 1932. Earl Lng|Earl "the Louisiana Longshot" held more state jobs than any other Louisianan and was elected governor in 1939, 1948 and 1956. He was elected to Congress in 1960 but died before he could assume office.

Culture

Portions of the 1989 film Blaze, starring Paul Newman, were filmed in Winnfield and Saline, Louisiana.[6]

Education

Public Schools

Winn Parish School Board operates local public schools.

Schools serving Winnfield include:

Higher Education

Media

Newspaper

Radio

Notable people

References

External links