Tioga, Louisiana

Tioga
Unincorporated community
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Rapides
Elevation	171 ft (52.1 m)
Coordinates	31°23′14″N 92°25′32″W / 31.38722°N 92.42556°W / 31.38722; -92.42556Coordinates: 31°23′14″N 92°25′32″W / 31.38722°N 92.42556°W / 31.38722; -92.42556
Population	1,965[1] (2010)
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code	318
Location of Tioga in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

Tioga is an unincorporated community village in northern Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population in 2010 was 1,965.

History

Tioga originated as a lumber mill town. Swords Lee, who represented Grant Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1904 to 1908, operated a large sawmill there until it closed c. 1917 because of exhaustion of the timber supply.^[2] At the Tioga commissary, workers could use their mill script to buy groceries and supplies. Outside workers were paid a quarter per hour; if he worked inside the mill, he earned $3 per day. Many laborers were granted mill housing across the street from the commissary in "shotgun"-style shacks. The mill whistle announced the time to report for work, lunch, and the ending of the work shift.

After the heyday of the lumber business, the United States military during World War II established local training facilities at nearby Camp Beauregard and Camp Livingston. The two military establishments played a major role in preparing United States military forces during World War II. The "Louisiana Maneuvers" prior to World War II originated at Camp Beauregard.

Today Camp Livingston, located near Ball, has been abandoned and become largely overgrown. Its area has become part of Kisatchie National Forest. Risk remains of unexploded ordnance in the old firing ranges; visitors are advised to remain on approved roads and trails. Camp Beauregard remains an active base of the Louisiana National Guard.

Education

Campus of Tioga High School

Tioga High School Indians football field, with companion track

Former Tioga High School football coach Jerry D. Ingram

Tioga Elementary serves the Kindergarten thru 6. Grades 7–8 are taught at Tioga Junior High School while Tioga High School serves grades 9-12.

Coach Jerry Ingram

Jerry Donald Ingram (1942–2010) of Pineville, a Monroe native and a graduate of La Salle High School in Olla and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, was the football coach of the Tioga High School Indians from 1966 to 1986, when he retired to pursue a second career with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company. He was a field supervisor in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 1998 became the Louisiana state manager for the company, from which he retired in 2008. A cancer victim, he was survived by his wife, the former Susan Annette Cameron, and four children, Debbye I. Storer, Stephani I. Nassif, Jeffrey Scott Ingram, and Darron Keith Ingram. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Ball.^[3]

During the middle 1970s, Kevin Vanek, the president of Red River Youth Football, played under Ingram, who in 1969 became the Tioga head coach. Vanek recalls a story about Ingram's influence on the team: "We lost a big game to Winnfield ... We were No. 10 in the state, they were No. 2. We had the game won, and we just blew it. I mean, it was a traumatic loss for all of us. We go back into the locker room, we're all feeling bad and down on ourselves, and Coach comes in the locker room and tries to take the blame. And it was like, in unison, every player in that locker room stood up to say "No, Coach, you can't do that."'^[4] Vanek continues: "He never put winning ahead of the kids. That's why everybody stood up for him. He knew we were all feeling horrible about it, and instead of yelling and screaming at us, he tried to take it on himself. That's what made him such a special person."^[4]

In 1985, his last year as coach, Ingram was given a plaque by the Tioga High School team that went undefeated.^[4]

In 1973, the Indians led by quarterback Jim Adams ended their season as the AAA District Runner-up under Coach Ingram. Running backs Chris Williams, Murray Stokes, Bruce Radford, and lineman Kent Combs advanced to successful collegiate careers. Williams and Radford went on to play in the National Football League.

Recreation

Tioga is also served by the Ward Ten Recreation District, which participates in Dixie Youth baseball and Dixie Girls softball. The Dixie Belles (ages 13–15) won the 2001 Dixie Belles World Series.

Geography

Tioga is located at (31.38694, Lon: -92.42556).^[5]

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tioga has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[6]

References