Coushatta, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Coushatta 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 population, 2,299 at the 2000 census, is nearly two-thirds African American
, most with long family histories in the area.
activity and violence after the Civil War
, and especially during the 1870s of Reconstruction. The parish had been based on cotton
cultivation, dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans who far outnumbered the whites. After the war, white planters and farmers tried to reestablish dominance over a majority of the population. With emancipation
and being granted citizenship and suffrage, African Americans tried to create their own lives.
Formed in May 1874 from white militias, the White League
in Louisiana was increasingly well-organized in rural areas like Red River Parish. It worked to turn out the Republican Party
, as well as suppress freedmen's civil rights
and voting rights. It used violence against officeholders, running some out of town and killing others, and acted near elections to suppress black and white Republican voter turnout.
In one of the more flagrant examples of violence, the White League in August 1874 forced six Republicans from office in Coushatta, then assassinated them before they could leave the state. Victims included the brother and three brothers-in-law of the Republican State Senator
Marshall H. Twitchell
. Twitchell's wife and her brothers were from a family with long ties in Red River Parish. One of Twitchell's several biographies
is an unpublished 1969 dissertation at Mississippi State University
in Starkville
by the historian
Jimmy G. Shoalmire
, a Shreveport
native and a specialist in Reconstruction studies.
The White League also killed five to twenty freedmen who had been escorting the Republicans and were witnesses to the assassinations. The events became known as the Coushatta Massacre
and contributed to the Republican governor's requesting more Federal troops from U.S. President U.S. Grant to help control the state. Ordinary Southerners wrote to the White House describing the terrible conditions and fear they lived under during these years.
With increased fraud, violence and intimidation, white Redeemer Democrats
gained control of the state legislature in 1876 and established a new system of one-party rule. They passed laws making elections more complicated and a new constitution with provisions that effectively disenfranchised most African Americans and many poorer whites. This disenfranchisement persisted for decades into the 20th century before passage of civil rights
legislation and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.91%) is water.
North of Coushatta, Loggy Bayou
, which flows from Lake Bistineau
, joins the Red River.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 2,299 people, 738 households, and 512 families residing in the town. The population density
was 686.5 people per square mile (265.0/km²). There were 823 housing units at an average density of 245.7 per square mile (94.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 33.19% White, 65.42% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 738 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 31.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.1% 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 2.82 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the town the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 78.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $15,500, and the median income for a family was $18,958. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $13,833 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,228. About 44.6% of families and 49.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 64.0% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
. Zoned campuses include Red River Elementary School (Grades PK-5), Red River Junior High School (Grades 6-8), and Red River Senior High School
(Grades 9-12).
Riverdale Academy, the only K-12 private school in Red River Parish, is located on the outskirts of Coushatta.
, a unit dating back to the Confederate Army during the Civil War under the nickname "the Wildbunch". This unit was formerly known as A Company 1-156 Armor Battalion and served recently in Iraq during 2004-5 under the 256th Infantry Brigade. This unit just returned from its second deployment to Iraq in 2010.
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...
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...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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 population, 2,299 at the 2000 census, is nearly two-thirds African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, most with long family histories in the area.
History
Red River Parish and the Red River Valley were areas of unrest and white paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
activity and violence after the Civil War
American 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...
, and especially during the 1870s of Reconstruction. The parish had been based on cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
cultivation, dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans who far outnumbered the whites. After the war, white planters and farmers tried to reestablish dominance over a majority of the population. With emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
and being granted citizenship and suffrage, African Americans tried to create their own lives.
Formed in May 1874 from white militias, the White League
White League
The White League was a white paramilitary group started in 1874 that operated to turn Republicans out of office and intimidate freedmen from voting and political organizing. Its first chapter in Grant Parish, Louisiana was made up of many of the Confederate veterans who had participated in the...
in Louisiana was increasingly well-organized in rural areas like Red River Parish. It worked to turn out the Republican Party
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...
, as well as suppress freedmen's civil rights
Civil rights
Civil 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...
and voting rights. It used violence against officeholders, running some out of town and killing others, and acted near elections to suppress black and white Republican voter turnout.
In one of the more flagrant examples of violence, the White League in August 1874 forced six Republicans from office in Coushatta, then assassinated them before they could leave the state. Victims included the brother and three brothers-in-law of the Republican State Senator
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...
Marshall H. Twitchell
Marshall H. Twitchell
Marshall 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....
. Twitchell's wife and her brothers were from a family with long ties in Red River Parish. One of Twitchell's several biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
is an unpublished 1969 dissertation at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
in Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
by the historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Jimmy G. Shoalmire
Jimmy G. Shoalmire
Jimmy Gayle Shoalmire was an historian of the American South originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, who specialized in Reconstruction and agricultural studies.-Early years and education:...
, a Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
native and a specialist in Reconstruction studies.
The White League also killed five to twenty freedmen who had been escorting the Republicans and were witnesses to the assassinations. The events became known as the Coushatta Massacre
Coushatta massacre
The Coushatta Massacre was the result of an attack by the White League, a paramilitary organization composed of white Southern Democrats, on Republican officeholders and freedmen in Coushatta, the parish seat of Red River Parish, Louisiana...
and contributed to the Republican governor's requesting more Federal troops from U.S. President U.S. Grant to help control the state. Ordinary Southerners wrote to the White House describing the terrible conditions and fear they lived under during these years.
With increased fraud, violence and intimidation, white Redeemer Democrats
Redeemers
In United States history, "Redeemers" and "Redemption" were terms used by white Southerners to describe a political coalition in the Southern United States during the Reconstruction era which followed the American Civil War...
gained control of the state legislature in 1876 and established a new system of one-party rule. They passed laws making elections more complicated and a new constitution with provisions that effectively disenfranchised most African Americans and many poorer whites. This disenfranchisement persisted for decades into the 20th century before passage of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil 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...
legislation and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Geography
Coushatta is located at 32°1′23"N 93°20′30"W (32.023162, -93.341775).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.91%) is water.
North of Coushatta, 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...
, which flows 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...
, joins the Red River.
Demographics
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...
of 2000, there were 2,299 people, 738 households, and 512 families residing in the town. 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 686.5 people per square mile (265.0/km²). There were 823 housing units at an average density of 245.7 per square mile (94.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 33.19% White, 65.42% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.39% 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 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 738 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% 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, 31.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.1% 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 2.82 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the town the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 78.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $15,500, and the median income for a family was $18,958. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $13,833 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 town was $10,228. About 44.6% of families and 49.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 64.0% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Coushatta and all of Red River Parish are served by the Red River Parish School DistrictRed River Parish School District
The Red River Parish School District is a public school district headquartered in Coushatta, Louisiana, United States.The district serves all of Red River Parish...
. Zoned campuses include Red River Elementary School (Grades PK-5), Red River Junior High School (Grades 6-8), and Red River Senior High School
Red River Senior High School
Red River Senior High School is a public, secondary school in Coushatta, Louisiana . It is part of the Red River Parish School District and serves students in grades nine through twelve. The school's mascot is the Bulldog....
(Grades 9-12).
Riverdale Academy, the only K-12 private school in Red River Parish, is located on the outskirts of Coushatta.
National Guard
Coushatta is the home of C Troop 2-108th Cavalry Squadron108th Cavalry Regiment (United States)
The 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Louisiana Army National Guard respectively-Lineage:The 108th Cavalry was constituted June 1, 1921, assigned to the 23rd Cavalry Division, allotted to the National Guard of the States of Georgia and Louisiana, and...
, a unit dating back to the Confederate Army during the Civil War under the nickname "the Wildbunch". This unit was formerly known as A Company 1-156 Armor Battalion and served recently in Iraq during 2004-5 under the 256th Infantry Brigade. This unit just returned from its second deployment to Iraq in 2010.
Notable natives and residents
- Joe AdcockJoe AdcockJoseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...
, slugging first baseman for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950s, was born and raised in Coushatta. - Douglas FowlerDouglas FowlerWiley Douglas Fowler, Sr. , was a local politician from rural Red River Parish in north Louisiana, a loyal supporter of Governor Earl Kemp Long, and his state's chief elections officer from 1959, until declining health forced his retirement, effective December 31, 1979...
(1906–1980), Red River Parish Clerk of Court (1940–1952), mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Coushatta (1952–1954), and Commissioner of Elections (1959–1980). - Hendrix Marion "Mutt" Fowler, Sr., served as mayor of Coushatta, as a 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 1972–1986, and as executive director of the Sabine River Authority. - Jerry Marston FowlerJerry FowlerJerry Marston Fowler was a Baton Rouge businessman who served as Louisiana's state Elections Commissioner from 1980 until his defeat in the 1999 jungle primary. He was part of the Fowler family Democratic political dynasty...
served as Louisiana Commissioner of Elections from 1980-2000. - Andrew R. JohnsonA.R. Johnson (Louisiana politician)Andrew R. Johnson, known as A.R. Johnson , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, who represented District 24 from 1916 to 1924....
(1856–1933), Louisiana state senatorLouisiana 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 1916-1924 from BienvilleBienville Parish, LouisianaBienville 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....
and ClaiborneClaiborne 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....
parishes and mayor of HomerHomer, LouisianaHomer is present day parish seat of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was named after the Greek poet Homer and was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The present day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is one of only...
, Louisiana. He named the village of AshlandAshland, LouisianaAshland is a village located in the northernmost portion of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was incorporated in 1963. A few residences and a convenience store to the north spill over into neighboring Bienville Parish. The population was 291 at the 2000 census...
, Louisiana. He is interred at Springville Cemetery in Coushatta. - Vickie JohnsonVickie JohnsonVickie Johnson , is a WNBA player who played for the San Antonio Silver Stars until her retirement in 2009. She grew up in Coushatta, Louisiana.-High School Years:Johnson was a letterman in basketball and track and field...
, WNBA player 1997-presnt - San Antonio Silver Stars - Donald G. KellyDonald G. KellyDonald Gene Kelly, usually known as Don Kelly , is a prominent trial lawyer and American Quarter Horse breeder in Natchitoches who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1976 to 1996. His tenure covered three of the four terms of Democratic Governor Edwin Washington...
graduated from the former Coushatta High School. A NatchitochesNatchitoches, LouisianaNatchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
attorneyLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
man, he served in the Louisiana State SenateLouisiana 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 1976-1996. - W. Scott WilkinsonW. Scott WilkinsonWilliam Scott Wilkinson was an attorney from Shreveport, Louisiana, who served a single term as a Democrat from Caddo Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1920–1924....
, Coushatta native and a ShreveportShreveport, LouisianaShreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
attorney, served as a state representative from Caddo ParishCaddo Parish, LouisianaCaddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
from 1920-1924.