Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Jackson 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
. Jackson Parish is part of the Ruston
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
During the American Civil War
Confederate
General
Richard Taylor
sent five companies into Jackson and Winn
parishes to arrest conscripts who failed to report for duty and to halt jayhawker groups in the area. General Edmund Kirby-Smith, moreover, directed that "all men who shirked their military duty be hunted down and forced into camp. Those who tried to escape the conscript hunters would be shot. The terrain of Louisiana with its many canebrakes, swamps, and hills in which to hide, made such an order difficult to carry out," explains the historian John D. Winters
in The Civil War in Louisiana (1963).
of 2000, there were 15,397 people, 6,086 households, and 4,302 families residing in the parish. The population density
was 27 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 7,338 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 71.01% White
, 27.87% Black
or African American
, 0.29% Native American
, 0.21% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.24% from other races
, and 0.37% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 6,086 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples
living together, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the parish the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $28,352, and the median income for a family was $36,317. Males had a median income of $31,977 versus $19,992 for females. The per capita income
for the parish was $15,354. About 16.00% of families and 19.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.
with Al Smith
receiving 100 percent of the vote in 1928. It has trended more Republican since at least 1960. Bill Clinton
and George W. Bush
both carried the parish twice. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election
John McCain
outpolled Barack Obama
by 30 percentage points.
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 was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro
Jonesboro, Louisiana
Jonesboro 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:...
. Jackson Parish is part of the Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Ruston micropolitan area
The Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan area in north central Louisiana that covers two parishes - Lincoln and Jackson. As of the 2000 census, the μSA had a population of 57,906 .-Cities:*Ruston * Grambling, Louisiana The Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan...
.
During the American 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...
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...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor (general)
Richard Taylor was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was the son of United States President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor.-Early life:...
sent five companies into Jackson and Winn
Winn Parish, Louisiana
Winn 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....
parishes to arrest conscripts who failed to report for duty and to halt jayhawker groups in the area. General Edmund Kirby-Smith, moreover, directed that "all men who shirked their military duty be hunted down and forced into camp. Those who tried to escape the conscript hunters would be shot. The terrain of Louisiana with its many canebrakes, swamps, and hills in which to hide, made such an order difficult to carry out," explains the historian John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...
in The Civil War in Louisiana (1963).
Geography
The parish has a total area of 580 square miles (1,502.2 km²), of which 570 square miles (1,476.3 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28.5 km²) (1.82%) is water.Major highways
U.S. Highway 167
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 34Louisiana Highway 34Louisiana Highway 34 is a state highway in Louisiana that spans . It serves Grant Parish, Winn Parish, Jackson Parish, and Ouachita Parish.-Route description:...
Adjacent parishes
- 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...
(north) - Ouachita ParishOuachita Parish, Louisiana-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
(northeast) - Caldwell ParishCaldwell Parish, Louisiana-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,560 people, 3,941 households, and 2,817 families residing in the parish. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 5,035 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
(southeast) - 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....
(south) - Bienville ParishBienville 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....
(west)
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 15,397 people, 6,086 households, and 4,302 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 27 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 7,338 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 71.01% 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...
, 27.87% 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...
, 0.29% 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...
, 0.21% 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...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.24% 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 0.37% from two or more races. 0.61% 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 6,086 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% 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, 14.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the parish the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $28,352, and the median income for a family was $36,317. Males had a median income of $31,977 versus $19,992 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 $15,354. About 16.00% of families and 19.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
|
Eros, Louisiana Eros is a town in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 202 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.Former Northwestern State University President Arnold R. Kilpatrick was born in Eros... Hodge, Louisiana Hodge is a village in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 492 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
Jonesboro, Louisiana Jonesboro 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:... North Hodge, Louisiana North Hodge is a village in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 436 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:North Hodge is located at .... |
Quitman, Louisiana Quitman is a village in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 168. Quitman is south of Ruston on U.S. Highway 167, and north of Jonesboro, the parish seat of Jackson Parish... |
Notable persons
- Rodney AlexanderRodney AlexanderRodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
, RepublicanRepublican 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...
U.S. representative - H. Welborn AyresH. Welborn AyresHarrison Welborn Ayres was a 20th century judge of the Louisiana Second Judicial District Court, based in Jonesboro, and the state Second Circuit Court of Appeal, anchored in Shreveport....
, judge of the Second Judicial District Court in Jonesboro, 1942–1953 - 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...
, Second Judicial District Court judge, 1970–1982 - James Houston "Jimmie" DavisJimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
, former 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...
governor and a singer by profession. - Randy EwingRandy EwingRandy Lew Ewing is a Jackson Parish businessman who, as a Democrat, represented District 35 in the Louisiana State Senate from 1988 to 2000. He was the State Senate President in his last term from 1996 to 2000, which corresponded with the first term of Republican Governor Murphy J...
, former 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...
President and a 2003 Democratic gubernatorial contender. - James R. FanninJames R. FanninJames Roy Fannin , known as Jim Fannin, is the Democratic chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He is a former educator and active businessman in Jonesboro, the seat of Jackson Parish in north Louisiana, In 2003, Fannin was elected to represent House...
, state representative from Jackson Parish since 2003 - E.L. "Bubba" Henry, former Democratic Speaker 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...
, served in the House from District 13 from 1968–1980, the last eight of those years as Speaker - Berry HintonBerry HintonFrank Berry Hinton, known as Berry Hinton , was from 1943 to 1967 a champion baseball coach at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.-Background:...
, native of Clay/Vernon communities; baseball coach at 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...
from 1943 until 1967 - Arnold R. KilpatrickArnold R. KilpatrickArnold Roy Kilpatrick was a Louisiana educator and businessman who was the president of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches from 1966-1978.-Early years, education, military:...
(1920–2005), former president of Northwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in 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... - Robert W. MondyRobert W. MondyRobert William Mondy was an historian of the frontier experience in the American West and South, who spent thirty-nine years, from 1935–1974, on the faculty of Louisiana Tech University in his native Ruston in Lincoln Parish in north Louisiana.Mondy was the older of two children born to Thomas...
(1908–1997), historian at Louisiana Tech University who taught in Jackson Parish public schools in the early 1930s - Robert Edwin RussRobert RussRobert Edwin Russ was a planter and civic leader who founded Ruston, the parish seat of Lincoln Parish in north Louisiana.-Early life:...
, the founder of RustonRuston, LouisianaRuston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, lived in Jackson Parish before moving to Lincoln Parish. - James Monroe SmithJames Monroe SmithJames Monroe Smith, Sr. , was the president of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the 1930s...
(1888–1949), Jackson Parish native who served as president of 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...
from 1930–1939; forced to resign in "Louisiana Hayride" scandals of 1939 - Joseph TabarletJoseph TabarletJoseph Odell Tabarlet, I , was a businessman, public administrator and civic leader who served one full and three partial terms as the mayor of Jonesboro, the seat of Jackson Parish in north Louisiana.-Background:...
(1900–1951), former mayor of Jonesboro - Neil Thomas (1892–1963), sheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Jackson Parish, 1928–1948; former state parole director under the Davis administration; originally a Jonesboro barberBarberA barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop.... - George T. WalkerGeorge T. WalkerGeorge Thomas Walker, Sr. , was from 1958 to 1976 the president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, known first as Northeast Louisiana State College and then as Northeast Louisiana State University, located in Monroe in northeastern Louisiana.-Background:Walker was born in the Wyatt Community...
(1913–2011), president of the University of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeThe University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
from 1958 to 1976, was born and reared in the Wyatt Community of Jackson Parish. - William Stewart WalkerWilliam Stewart WalkerWilliam Stewart Walker, usually known as Stewart Walker , was a lieutenant colonel from Winnfield, Louisiana who, during World War II as a United States Army major, rescued 380 of his fellow soldiers from behind enemy lines in Belgium in December 1944...
(1914–1999), World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer; Republican congressional candidate, 1964; younger brother of George T. Walker.
Presidential elections
Jackson Parish was historically part of the Solid SouthSolid South
Solid South is the electoral support of the Southern United States for the Democratic Party candidates for nearly a century from 1877, the end of Reconstruction, to 1964, during the middle of the Civil Rights era....
with Al Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
receiving 100 percent of the vote in 1928. It has trended more Republican since at least 1960. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and 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....
both carried the parish twice. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
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....
outpolled 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...
by 30 percentage points.
See also
- Historical romance author Jennifer Blake lives in Quitman.
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jackson Parish, Louisiana