Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. The parish seat is Arcadia
and as of the 2000 census
, the population is 15,752.
The highest natural point in Louisiana, a hill
known as Mt. Driskill
, 535 feet (163.1 m) in elevation, is located in north central Bienville Parish. The mountain is located on private land with public access by walking trail. It is named for James Christopher Driskill, a 19th century landowner. Nearby is Jordan Mountain, with an elevation of 493 feet (150.3 m).
Lake Bistineau
and Lake Bistineau State Park
embrace parts of Bienville and neighboring Webster and Bossier
parishes.
, Bienville Parish was strongly Confederate
but was spared fighting in its immediate area. Instead Bienville Parish participated in the building of fortifications on the nearby Red River. Much of this work was done by slaves hired out by planters.
In 1864, Governor Henry Watkins Allen
named Dr. Bartholomew Egan of Bienville Parish to establish a laboratory for the manufacture of medicines. Egan bought out the former Mount Lebanon Female Academy and nearly a hundred acres of land to turn out turpentine
and medicinal whisky
. He also produced castor oil
(The Bienville Parish community of Castor
was established in 1900.) and a quantity of opium
. Winters explains that the "native wild white poppy
produced an opium equal in strength and effectiveness to the imported product."
The notorious bandits Bonnie and Clyde
were shot dead in Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934. The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland
contains memorabilia about the killing. It is operated by Ted Hinton, son of one of the officers involved in the ambush.
stronghold though it supported the Republican
presidential nominees, Barry M. Goldwater in 1964 and Richard M. Nixon in 1972. It is one of three parishes—the others are neighboring Red River and St. Bernard near New Orleans -- to have rejected the successful GOP
gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal
in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007. However, President George W. Bush
secured a close victory in the parish in 2004. He polled 3,612 votes (50 percent) to 3,399 (47 percent) for Democrat John F. Kerry. In 2008, John McCain
won in Bienville Parish by a 187-vote margin over the Democrat Barack Obama
, 3,776-3,589.
Bienville Parish was represented in the Louisiana State Senate
from 1948-1960 by a fiery segregationist and unsuccessful 1959 Democratic gubernatorial candidate William M. Rainach
of neighboring Claiborne Parish.
Lorris M. Wimberly
, a Speaker
of the Louisiana House of Representatives
, was a native and resident of Arcadia. Wimberly served in the House from 1928–1940 and again from 1948–1956; he was Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and briefly in 1956. His father, Joseph Rush Wimberly, I, served in the legislature from 1900–1908 and was thereafter a judge
.
The last state representative whose district included only Bienville Parish was John Len Lacy
of Castor
, who served a single term from 1964–1968 and had been a member of the Bienville Parish School Board for thirty-two years.
Bienville Parish has various churches, mostly of the Baptist
denomination. Many are in rural
areas and often have cemeteries adjacent to the sanctuaries. For instance, the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery is located south of Ringgold off Louisiana State Highway 4. The Louisiana Baptist Convention
was founded in 1848 at historic Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in the community of Mount Lebanon
, originally settled by pioneers from South Carolina
. The First Baptist Church and the First United Methodist Church in Arcadia are particularly impressive structures for a smaller community.
Loggy Bayou
flows south from Lake Bistineau
and traverses Bienville Parish west of Ringgold
before it enters Red River Parish
and thereafter joins the Red River
.
of 2000, there were 15,752 people, 6,108 households, and 4,214 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 19 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 7,830 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 54.92% White
, 43.78% Black
or African American
, 0.27% Native American
, 0.15% Asian
, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,108 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.70% were married couples
living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $23,663, and the median income for a family was $30,241. Males had a median income of $28,022 versus $18,682 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $12,471. About 21.80% of families and 26.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
operates area public schools.
, edited in Arcadia by Priscilla Smith. The former editor was Wayne E. Dring.
Left4Dead 2
: This video game was set in Bienville Parish.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The parish seat is Arcadia
Arcadia, Louisiana
Arcadia is a town in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,041 at the 2000 census....
and as of the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the population is 15,752.
The highest natural point in Louisiana, a hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
known as Mt. Driskill
Driskill Mountain
Driskill Mountain is the highest natural summit in Louisiana with an elevation of 535 feet above sea level. It lies about 5.3 miles southeast of Bryceland, Louisiana. It is located in the northeast corner of Sec. 32, T. 17 N., R. 5 W. at 32° 25′ 29.32″ N 92° 53′ 47.90″ W within Bienville Parish...
, 535 feet (163.1 m) in elevation, is located in north central Bienville Parish. The mountain is located on private land with public access by walking trail. It is named for James Christopher Driskill, a 19th century landowner. Nearby is Jordan Mountain, with an elevation of 493 feet (150.3 m).
Lake Bistineau
Lake Bistineau
250px|right|thumb|Lake Bistineau south of [[Doyline, Louisiana|Doyline]], [[Louisiana]]Lake Bistineau is a long, narrow waterway of , wide and long located in Webster, Bossier, and Bienville parishes in northwestern Louisiana. The lake is fed by Dorcheat Bayou, Clark’s Bayou, and other smaller...
and Lake Bistineau State Park
Lake Bistineau State Park
Lake Bistineau State Park, one of twenty-two Louisiana state parks, is located on Lake Bistineau, a long and narrow waterway formed in 1800 as a result of extensive flooding created by a large log jam on the nearby Red River...
embrace parts of Bienville and neighboring Webster and Bossier
Bossier Parish, Louisiana
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
parishes.
History
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Bienville Parish was strongly Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
but was spared fighting in its immediate area. Instead Bienville Parish participated in the building of fortifications on the nearby Red River. Much of this work was done by slaves hired out by planters.
In 1864, Governor Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen was an American soldier and politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
named Dr. Bartholomew Egan of Bienville Parish to establish a laboratory for the manufacture of medicines. Egan bought out the former Mount Lebanon Female Academy and nearly a hundred acres of land to turn out turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
and medicinal whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
. He also produced castor oil
Castor oil
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean . Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is and its density is 961 kg/m3...
(The Bienville Parish community of Castor
Castor, Louisiana
Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver....
was established in 1900.) and a quantity of opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
. Winters explains that the "native wild white poppy
Poppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
produced an opium equal in strength and effectiveness to the imported product."
The notorious bandits Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
were shot dead in Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934. The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland
Gibsland, Louisiana
Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. Conveniently near Interstate 20 and less than an hour from both Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana, Gibsland offers small town living with access to urban amenities...
contains memorabilia about the killing. It is operated by Ted Hinton, son of one of the officers involved in the ambush.
Law, government, religion
Bienville Parish is a traditional DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
stronghold though it supported the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
presidential nominees, Barry M. Goldwater in 1964 and Richard M. Nixon in 1972. It is one of three parishes—the others are neighboring Red River and St. Bernard near New Orleans -- to have rejected the successful GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, 2007. However, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
secured a close victory in the parish in 2004. He polled 3,612 votes (50 percent) to 3,399 (47 percent) for Democrat John F. Kerry. In 2008, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
won in Bienville Parish by a 187-vote margin over the Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, 3,776-3,589.
Bienville Parish was represented in the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1948-1960 by a fiery segregationist and unsuccessful 1959 Democratic gubernatorial candidate William M. Rainach
William M. Rainach
William Monroe Rainach, Sr., known as Willie Rainach , was a state legislator from rural Summerfield in Claiborne Parish who led Louisiana's "Massive Resistance" to desegregation during the last half of the 1950s...
of neighboring Claiborne Parish.
Lorris M. Wimberly
Lorris M. Wimberly
Lorris May Wimberly, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928–1940 and again from 1948-1956. A native and resident of Arcadia, the seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Wimberly was House Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and from May 14-July 10, 1956...
, a Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, was a native and resident of Arcadia. Wimberly served in the House from 1928–1940 and again from 1948–1956; he was Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and briefly in 1956. His father, Joseph Rush Wimberly, I, served in the legislature from 1900–1908 and was thereafter a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
.
The last state representative whose district included only Bienville Parish was John Len Lacy
Len Lacy
John Len Lacy, usually known as Len Lacy , was a prominent farmer, cattleman, landowner, and businessman who served from 1964-1968 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Castor in Bienville Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
of Castor
Castor, Louisiana
Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver....
, who served a single term from 1964–1968 and had been a member of the Bienville Parish School Board for thirty-two years.
Bienville Parish has various churches, mostly of the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
denomination. Many are in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas and often have cemeteries adjacent to the sanctuaries. For instance, the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery is located south of Ringgold off Louisiana State Highway 4. The Louisiana Baptist Convention
Louisiana Baptist Convention
The Louisiana Baptist Convention is an association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Convention is composed of approximately 1,595 member congregations representing 869,490 members ....
was founded in 1848 at historic Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in the community of Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon, Louisiana
Mount Lebanon is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-History:Mount Lebanon was probably the first permanent settlement in what is now Bienville Parish. Its pioneers were Baptists from South Carolina who quickly established a church and...
, originally settled by pioneers from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The First Baptist Church and the First United Methodist Church in Arcadia are particularly impressive structures for a smaller community.
Geography
The parish has a total area of 822 square miles (2,129 km²), of which 811 square miles (2,100.5 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28.5 km²) (1.35%) is water. The highest natural point in Louisiana, Driskill Mountain (535 ft), is located in Bienville Parish. Driskill Mountain is 11 miles (17.7 km) south of Arcadia at Latitude 32 degree, 25 minutes North; Longitude 92 degree 54 minutes West.Loggy Bayou
Loggy Bayou
Loggy Bayou is a stream in northwestern Louisiana which connects Lake Bistineau with the Red River. Bistineau is the reservoir of Dorcheat Bayou, which flows southward from Nevada County, Arkansas, into Webster Parish...
flows south from Lake Bistineau
Lake Bistineau
250px|right|thumb|Lake Bistineau south of [[Doyline, Louisiana|Doyline]], [[Louisiana]]Lake Bistineau is a long, narrow waterway of , wide and long located in Webster, Bossier, and Bienville parishes in northwestern Louisiana. The lake is fed by Dorcheat Bayou, Clark’s Bayou, and other smaller...
and traverses Bienville Parish west of Ringgold
Ringgold, Louisiana
Ringgold is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census. Ringgold is named for United States Army Major Samuel Ringgold, the hero of the battle of Palo Alto near Brownsville, Texas, in the Mexican-American War. Ringgold, the son of a U.S...
before it enters Red River Parish
Red River Parish, Louisiana
Red River Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. It was one of the newer parishes created in 1871 by the state legislature under Reconstruction...
and thereafter joins the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
.
Major highways
Interstate 20Interstate 20Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
U.S. Highway 80
U.S. Highway 371
Louisiana Highway 4Louisiana Highway 4Louisiana Highway 4 is a state highway in Louisiana, USA. It spans , mostly as a two lane, undivided road.-Route description:From the west, LA 4 begins at an intersection with U.S. Highway 71 in northern Red River Parish and runs eastward along the Red River Parish line. It then turns to the...
Louisiana Highway 9Louisiana Highway 9Louisiana Highway 9 is a state highway that serves Natchitoches Parish, Bienville Parish, and Claiborne Parish in north Louisiana. It spans , running a north–south route.-Route description:...
Adjacent parishes
- Claiborne ParishClaiborne Parish, LouisianaClaiborne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Homer and as of 2000, the population is 16,851.-History:The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne....
(north) - Lincoln ParishLincoln Parish, LouisianaLincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
(northeast) - Jackson ParishJackson Parish, LouisianaJackson Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro...
(east) - Winn ParishWinn Parish, LouisianaWinn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Winnfield. In 2000, its population was 16,894.The parish has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
(southeast) - Natchitoches ParishNatchitoches Parish, LouisianaNatchitoches Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Natchitoches. As of 2000, the population was 39,080. This is the heart of the Cane River Louisiana Creole community...
(south) - Red River ParishRed River Parish, LouisianaRed River Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. It was one of the newer parishes created in 1871 by the state legislature under Reconstruction...
(southwest) - Bossier ParishBossier Parish, LouisianaBossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
(west) - Webster ParishWebster Parish, LouisianaWebster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
(northwest)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,752 people, 6,108 households, and 4,214 families residing in the parish. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 19 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 7,830 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 54.92% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 43.78% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.15% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 6,108 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.70% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $23,663, and the median income for a family was $30,241. Males had a median income of $28,022 versus $18,682 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the parish was $12,471. About 21.80% of families and 26.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
|
Castor, Louisiana Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver.... Gibsland, Louisiana Gibsland is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. Conveniently near Interstate 20 and less than an hour from both Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana, Gibsland offers small town living with access to urban amenities... Jamestown, Louisiana Jamestown is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 149 at the 2000 census.Lee Smith, a retired professional baseball player, was born there in 1957.Enoch T... |
Lucky, Louisiana Lucky is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lucky is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of... Mount Lebanon, Louisiana Mount Lebanon is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-History:Mount Lebanon was probably the first permanent settlement in what is now Bienville Parish. Its pioneers were Baptists from South Carolina who quickly established a church and... |
Ringgold, Louisiana Ringgold is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census. Ringgold is named for United States Army Major Samuel Ringgold, the hero of the battle of Palo Alto near Brownsville, Texas, in the Mexican-American War. Ringgold, the son of a U.S... Saline, Louisiana Saline is a village in southeastern Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 296 at the 2000 census. Saline is pronounced: .... |
Education
The Bienville Parish School BoardBienville Parish School Board
Bienville Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in Arcadia, Louisiana, United States.The district serves Bienville Parish.-PK-12 schools:* Bienville High School * Castor High School * Saline High School...
operates area public schools.
Media
Bienville Parish is served by the weekly Bienville Democrat newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, edited in Arcadia by Priscilla Smith. The former editor was Wayne E. Dring.
Notable people
- Morris N. AbramsMorris N. AbramsMorris Newton Abrams was a Louisiana educator who specialized in the field of vocational education....
, Louisiana educator and academic, began his teaching career in 1940 at the now defunct Friendship High School in the Friendship community in Bienville Parish. - David T. CaldwellDavid T. CaldwellDavid T. Caldwell was a Second Judicial District Court judge based in Jonesboro, the seat of Jackson Parish in north Louisiana. He was initially appointed to his position on January 31, 1970, by Governor John J. McKeithen to succeed Judge P.E. Brown, who had reached the mandatory retirement age...
, judge of the Second Judicial District Court, 1970–1982, based in JonesboroJonesboro, LouisianaJonesboro is a town in and the parish seat of Jackson Parish in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 3,914 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, was born in Saline in 1925. - Stephen A. CaldwellStephen A. CaldwellStephen Adolphus Caldwell was an American educator originally from the village of Bienville in Bienville Parish in North Louisiana, best known for A Banking History of Louisiana, originally published in 1935....
, educator, principally at Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, was born in Bienville in 1889. - Barbara ColleyBarbara ColleyBarbara Ann Logan Colley is a romance and mystery novelist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her recent work is centered on the fictitious "Charlotte LaRue", the subject of a series of mysteries. She has written more than a dozen novels which have been published in some seventeen languages....
, romanceRomance novelThe romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
and mystery novelist, was born in Ringgold in 1947. - Hubert N. Davis, Bienville Parish sheriff, 1952–1972
- Bill DeMottBill DeMottWilliam Charles "Bill" DeMott II is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment as Hugh Morrus and Bill DeMott respectively and as Crash The Terminator in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Japan...
, a professional wrestler, maintains a house in Bienville Parish. - Caroline DormonCaroline DormonCaroline Coroneos Dormon was a botanist, horticulturist, ornithologist, historian, archeologist, preservationist, naturalist, conservationist, and author from Louisiana. She was born in modest circumstances at Briarwood, the family home in northern Natchitoches Parish, to James L. Dormon and the...
(1888–1971), a Louisiana botanist and preservationistPreservationistPreservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
, grew up in Bienville Parish. - Jamie FairJamie FairJames Hartwell Fair, Jr., known as Jamie Fair , is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Bienville Parish in north Louisiana. A Democrat, Fair resides off Louisiana Highway 9 between Castor and Saline. He served in the state House for a single term from 1980-1984.Fair was...
, member of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1980–1984 - Charlie HenniganCharlie HenniganCharles Taylor Hennigan, Sr., known as Charlie Hennigan , is a retired American football player with the former Houston Oilers who resides in Shreveport, Louisiana. Born in Bienville in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Hennigan grew up in nearby Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, located...
, American Football LeagueAmerican Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
player from the 1960s - Sue Woodard Huckaby (1943–2008), Realtor in northern Virginia, ranked tenth of 2 million in the United States. A Ringgold native, she was the first wife of former U.S. Representative Jerry HuckabyJerry HuckabyThomas Jerald Huckaby, usually known as Jerry Huckaby , is a retired businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana between 1977 and 1993...
, who remarried after her death. Her father, E.S. "Scotty" Woodard (born 1921), is a Bienville Parish landowner. - Henderson JordanHenderson Jordan (Louisiana sheriff)Henderson Jordan , as sheriff of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, was one of six law enforcement officers who on May 23, 1934, ambushed the fugitives Bonnie and Clyde in a deadly encounter on Louisiana Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes to the south.-Background:According to his grave...
(1896–1958), sheriff of Bienville Parish, 1932–1940; participated in the capture of Bonnie and ClydeBonnie and ClydeBonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
on May 23, 1934; interred at Arcadia Cemetery - John Len LacyLen LacyJohn Len Lacy, usually known as Len Lacy , was a prominent farmer, cattleman, landowner, and businessman who served from 1964-1968 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Castor in Bienville Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
, represented Bienville Parish in the Louisiana House from 1964-1968. - Sallie Williams Lacy, wife of Len Lacy and his successor as a member of the Bienville Parish School Board, having served from 1964–1972
- Garnie W. McGintyGarnie W. McGintyGarnie William McGinty was an historian whose career was principally based for thirty-five years at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.-Biography:...
(1900–1984), Louisiana historian - E. R. MinchewE. R. MinchewElmer Reid Minchew, usually known as E. R. Minchew , was a prominent Louisiana educator whose career spanned the forty-six years from 1929 to 1975.-Background:...
(1908-2001), Louisana educator, born in Taylor and long-term principal of Castor High School - Danny Roy MooreDanny Roy MooreDanny Roy Moore is a civil engineer and land surveyor in Arcadia, Louisiana, who served as a conservative Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1964 until 1968...
(born 1925), represented Claiborne and Bienville parishes in the Louisiana Senate from 1964-1968; resides in Arcadia - Enoch T. NixEnoch T. NixEnoch Talton Nix was a banker and civic figure from Bossier City, Louisiana, who served for thirty years on the elected Louisiana State Board of Education and its successor organization established under the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary...
(1920-2001), banker in Bossier CityBossier City, LouisianaBossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
; member and president of the Louisiana State Board of Education - Prentiss Oakley (1905–1957), one of six law-enforcement officials involved in the capture of Bonnie and Clyde; sheriff, 1940–1952
- E.S. RichardsonE.S. RichardsonEdwin Sanders Richardson, Sr., principally known as E. S. Richardson , was an educator who served from August 14, 1936, until 1941 as the president of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish. Previously, Richardson was the superintendent of schools in his native Webster...
, a leading Louisiana educator, was the school superintendent in Bienville Parish from 1916-1920. He left to take the superintendency in his native Webster Parish. Later, he was president of Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. - Lee SmithLee Smith (baseball)Lee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career...
, pitcher - Jesse N. StoneJesse N. StoneJesse Nealand Stone, Jr. , was an African American attorney and educator from Shreveport, Louisiana, who broke past color barriers in state government....
, president of the Southern University SystemSouthern University SystemThe Southern University System is a system of universities in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its headquarters are at the Joseph Samuel Clark Administration Building on the property of the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge...
from 1974–1985; civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist - F. Jay TaylorF. Jay TaylorFoster Jay Taylor, known as F. Jay Taylor , was a historian who served from 1962 to 1987 as the president of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston in Lincoln Parish in north Louisiana...
, president of Louisiana Tech University from 1962–1987, was born in Gibsland in 1923. - Marshall H. TwitchellMarshall H. TwitchellMarshall Harvey Twitchell was a Union Army soldier from Vermont who became a carpetbagger Republican state senator from Red River Parish in northwestern Louisiana during the era of Reconstruction....
, Reconstruction era state senator who helped to establish CoushattaCoushatta, LouisianaCoushatta is a town in and the parish seat of rural Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the east bank of the Red River. The community is approximately forty-five miles south of Shreveport on U.S. Highway 71...
, the seat of neighboring Red River Parish - Arvis Edward Whitman (1923–1996), parish sheriff from 1972–1988
- Duvall Cortez Wimberly, a Ringgold native, was a retired educator and the president of American Ex-Prisoners of WarAmerican Ex-Prisoners of WarPrisoners of War is a service organization that aims to assist the surviving U.S. military prisoner of war , particularly those who are elderly and those who have medical problems. Based in Arlington, Texas, the American Ex-Prisoners of War was founded in 1942. It received a congressional charter...
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Left4Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2 is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It is the sequel to Valve Corporation's award-winning Left 4 Dead. The game launched on November 17, 2009, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in the United States and November 20 in Europe; in 2010, Left 4 Dead 2 was made available to...
: This video game was set in Bienville Parish.