Grand Cane, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Grand Cane is a village in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 191 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport
–Bossier City
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. It is the hometown of women's basketball
pioneer Linda Gamble
.
In 1881, Amanda Hobgood (widow of Wright Hobgood) deeded land to the New Orleans & Pacific Railway and had the Village of Grand Cane laid out in lots and streets. By 1899, the Village of Grand Cane was incorporated and the first Mayor was E.R. Fortson. The first Village Councilmen were Paul E. Allen, Loderick Monroe Cook, and Dr. J.B. Johns. The population soon grew to almost 500. As the Village developed, spurred by the railway and the two crossroads (LA Hwys. 171 and 3015), a vigorous business community developed which included seven stores (Tidwell, Ricks Bros., Hicks & Richardson, Peyton, Hoell, Cook & Douglas, and George Parker), a dentist (Dr. Platt), bank, post office, blacksmith shop, livery stable, two hotels (Allen & Jackson), four doctors (Drs. Broadway, Leopold, Bannaman, & Curtis), three drug stores (Edwards, Leopold, & Allen), telephone office, newspaper, restaurant, two cotton gins, and various distinguished residential homes. The community was also enhanced by the first accredited public high school in the State of Louisiana, and a Presbyterian, Methodist, and two Baptist churches.
The Village continued to thrive until the Great Depression of 1929. The downward spiral continued with the demise of the Texas & Pacific Railway in the late 1950s. The steady decline of the agricultural industry, the lack of new businesses, the loss of the public school, and a general movement away from the rural area saw the end of the Village as a center for trade. The Village of Grand Cane, like so many small towns left behind by progress, simply went to sleep until 1993, when the Village used funds from a Rural Development Grant from the State of Louisiana to purchase the Hicks & Richardson Building.
This action spurred the passage of a preservation ordinance, creating the Grand Cane Preservation Commission, which resulted in the subsequent listing on the National Register of Historic Places of several buildings in the Historic District (Platt, Old Post Office, Cook & Douglas, Hicks & Richardson, & Ricks Bros.). These buildings joined the Village Hall and the Grand Cane Methodist Church that had obtained earlier listings. Historic Preservation has opened the door for new economic use of the old buildings.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²). 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.99% is water.
of 2000, there were 191 people, 87 households, and 54 families residing in the village. The population density
was 189.9 inhabitants per square mile (73.0/km²). There were 107 housing units at an average density of 106.4 per square mile (40.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 55.86% White, 40.99% African American, 2.09% Native American, 0.52% from other races
, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population.
There were 87 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $31,429, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $15,461. About 15.7% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.6% of those sixty five or over.
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...
. The population was 191 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 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....
–Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area
The Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in northwestern Louisiana that covers three parishes – Caddo, Bossier, and De Soto. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 375,965...
. It is the hometown of women's basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
pioneer Linda Gamble
Linda Gamble (basketball)
Linda Gamble was an American women's basketball player of the 1960's and 1970's, and Pan American Games silver medalist in 1971. She is considered one of the female pioneers in the sport, having helped bring women's basketball international attention.-Basketball career:Gamble was born and raised...
.
History
Prior to the incorporation of the Village of Grand Cane in 1899, the settlement of four families (Thomas Abington, Israel Rogers, Wright Hobgood, and John Wagner) influenced the development of the area around two wagon trails that intersected in the sparsely populated area known as the Grand Cane Territory.In 1881, Amanda Hobgood (widow of Wright Hobgood) deeded land to the New Orleans & Pacific Railway and had the Village of Grand Cane laid out in lots and streets. By 1899, the Village of Grand Cane was incorporated and the first Mayor was E.R. Fortson. The first Village Councilmen were Paul E. Allen, Loderick Monroe Cook, and Dr. J.B. Johns. The population soon grew to almost 500. As the Village developed, spurred by the railway and the two crossroads (LA Hwys. 171 and 3015), a vigorous business community developed which included seven stores (Tidwell, Ricks Bros., Hicks & Richardson, Peyton, Hoell, Cook & Douglas, and George Parker), a dentist (Dr. Platt), bank, post office, blacksmith shop, livery stable, two hotels (Allen & Jackson), four doctors (Drs. Broadway, Leopold, Bannaman, & Curtis), three drug stores (Edwards, Leopold, & Allen), telephone office, newspaper, restaurant, two cotton gins, and various distinguished residential homes. The community was also enhanced by the first accredited public high school in the State of Louisiana, and a Presbyterian, Methodist, and two Baptist churches.
The Village continued to thrive until the Great Depression of 1929. The downward spiral continued with the demise of the Texas & Pacific Railway in the late 1950s. The steady decline of the agricultural industry, the lack of new businesses, the loss of the public school, and a general movement away from the rural area saw the end of the Village as a center for trade. The Village of Grand Cane, like so many small towns left behind by progress, simply went to sleep until 1993, when the Village used funds from a Rural Development Grant from the State of Louisiana to purchase the Hicks & Richardson Building.
This action spurred the passage of a preservation ordinance, creating the Grand Cane Preservation Commission, which resulted in the subsequent listing on the National Register of Historic Places of several buildings in the Historic District (Platt, Old Post Office, Cook & Douglas, Hicks & Richardson, & Ricks Bros.). These buildings joined the Village Hall and the Grand Cane Methodist Church that had obtained earlier listings. Historic Preservation has opened the door for new economic use of the old buildings.
Present day
Today, the Historic Village of Grand Cane is strongly supported by members of the Historic Grand Cane Association, the Elected Officials of the Village, and a host of supporters, whose common goal is to keep alive the presence of yesterday as a constant reminder of the importance of preserving our unique past for future generations.Geography
Grand Cane is located at 32°5′1"N 93°48′33"W (32.083747, -93.809170).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 village has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²). 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.99% is water.
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 191 people, 87 households, and 54 families residing in the village. 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 189.9 inhabitants per square mile (73.0/km²). There were 107 housing units at an average density of 106.4 per square mile (40.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 55.86% White, 40.99% African American, 2.09% Native American, 0.52% 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 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population.
There were 87 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% 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, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $31,429, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $23,125 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 village was $15,461. About 15.7% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.6% of those sixty five or over.