Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Sabine Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state
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 seat of the parish is Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

. In 2010, the parish's population was 24,233.


Sabine was one of five parishes created in as many weeks by the 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...

 State Legislature
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...

 March 7, 1843. It was created from Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

 Parish with the Sabine River as the international boundary between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...

 as the western boundary.

The Neutral Strip

The area, inhabited first by the Adais (Brushwood) Indians of the Caddo Confederacy
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...

, was first under Spanish rule, then French, English, Spanish again, and French when Napoleon sold it to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...

 of 1803.

Boundary disputes followed the purchase. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 claimed the Sabine River as the border and Spain claimed a line farther east in 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...

 along Arroyo Hondo, a tributary of 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...

. The Neutral Ground Treaty was affected in 1806, declaring the area "Sabine Free State," a demilitarized zone, which became the neutral strip for outlaws, desperadoes, criminals and filibusters. The strip extended, roughly, from Sabine River east to the Calcasieu River, Bayous Kisatchie and Don Manuel, Lac Terre Noir and the Arroyo Hondo. Both nations claimed ownership but neither exercised control. English speaking settlers from the older eastern states began moving into the section during the westward expansion years before the boundary was established. They settled on Spanish grants known as Rio Hondo claims. One of the earliest settlers was Thomas Arthur, who filed a claim for 640 acres (2.6 km²) on Negreet
Negreet, Louisiana
Negreet is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 191 and Louisiana Highway 476, just east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.-History:...

 Creek.

In 1819 Spain abandoned all claims to land east of the Sabine River and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 moved in to establish law and order. Great caravans of home seekers marched over the old highways and many of them settled in present-day Sabine Parish. In the years that followed, small settlements began to make their appearances throughout the parish. Possibly the earliest of these was Negreet
Negreet, Louisiana
Negreet is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 191 and Louisiana Highway 476, just east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.-History:...

, founded in 1822, in the southern part of the parish where Christopher Anthony located on Bayou Negreet
Negreet, Louisiana
Negreet is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 191 and Louisiana Highway 476, just east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.-History:...

. Other settlements were Toro, in the extreme south, 1827, and Noble, in the north portion, dating back to the 1830s. Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup, also known as Fort Jesup State Historic Site or Fort Jessup or Fort Jesup State Monument, was built in 1822, 22 miles west of Natchitoches, Louisiana, to protect the United States border with Spain and to return order to the Neutral Strip. Originally named Cantonment Jesup, the fort...

 was founded in 1822 by Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...

 who later became the 12th President of the United States. Taylor's troops managed to establish law and order in this Neutral Ground. Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup, also known as Fort Jesup State Historic Site or Fort Jessup or Fort Jesup State Monument, was built in 1822, 22 miles west of Natchitoches, Louisiana, to protect the United States border with Spain and to return order to the Neutral Strip. Originally named Cantonment Jesup, the fort...

 has served as a vital part of Sabine Parish over the years and can be enjoyed by visitors today. It was an important frontier post until the annexation of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in 1845 and the focal point of the American expansionist movement.

The two main highways of the southwest traversed the Neutral Strip and ran about four miles (6 km) apart in the vicinity of the Town of Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

, The San Antonio Trace, El Camino Real, extended from Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

 westward directly across Sabine Parish into the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Since it was older and better known, a number of farmers and villages settled along it. Philip Nolan
Philip Nolan
Philip Nolan was a horse-trader and freebooter in Natchez, on the Mississippi River, and the Spanish province of Texas....

's Trace crossed 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...

 above Alexandria and ran through the Kisatchie country to join El Camino Real near the Sabine River crossing.

Sabine Parish is Created

The parish was created at a time when America had entered upon a new era of progress. A government survey in 1831 laid out the Sabine area in townships and sections and this, together with the clearing of the Red River "raft" by Henry Miller Shreve, in 1838, opened the Red River to steamboat traffic and gave impetus to the colonization of the area. Steamboats began running on the Sabine River in 1830, and by 1850 heavy traffic was carried on the Sabine. Popular landing points were Columbus, East Pendleton and Carter's Ferry. About three miles (5 km) south of Pendleton was the large and flourishing river port of Sabine Town. The influx of settlers reached its zenith just prior to the War Between the States.

Sabine Parish was one of the five parishes created in as many weeks by the state legislature in 1843 during the administration of Gov. Alexander Mouton. The parish was created from Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

 Parish on March 7, 1843. Since Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 was an independent republic, the Sabine River constituted an international border.

Less than one month later the parish was given several additional townships when legislators defined lines of its northern neighbor, DeSoto
De Soto Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

 Parish. One half township from Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

, originally intended to be part of Sabine was added in 1854. In 1871 a considerable portion of the southern half of Sabine Parish was removed with the establishment of Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....

. Since then the parish boundaries have remained unchanged.

Act 46 creating the parish specified that the seat of government should be named Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

 in honor of Col. John B. Many, commandant at Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup
Fort Jesup, also known as Fort Jesup State Historic Site or Fort Jessup or Fort Jesup State Monument, was built in 1822, 22 miles west of Natchitoches, Louisiana, to protect the United States border with Spain and to return order to the Neutral Strip. Originally named Cantonment Jesup, the fort...

, then the most important settlement in the parish. Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

 was on the Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

 San Antonio Road, known as El Camino Real, which carried traffic into Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

On May 17, 1843, Judge W. R. D. Speight, who was parish judge, I. W. Eason, S. S. Eason and G. W. Thompson purchased and gave to Sabine Parish 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land. Immediately some 30 citizens petitioned the police jury to lay out the town on the land, sell lots and make arrangements for the erection of public buildings. The police jury planned a courthouse and jail, raising the construction money with the sale of the lots.

The first house was erected by John Baldwin, who operated a store and used his home as a tavern. He was also the first postmaster of Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

. The first settler was Williams Mains, who came to the area in 1830. The first cotton gin was built in the early l850s, and the first census showed Sabine had a population of 3,347 whites and 1,168 slaves.

Battle of Pleasant Hill

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...

, Sabine Parish provided considerable support for units formed in the parish. 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...

 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), describes Sabine as "a poor piney-hill parish [which] met earlier obligations to her men by voting funds for the Sabine Rifles, Sabine Rebels, Sabine Volunteers, and Jordan's Company, and sent $500 to another company already departed for the front.

Sabine Parish was the scene of the last major engagement
Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864, during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, between Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate forces, led by Maj. Gen...

 in 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...

, which was fought April 9, 1864, at old Pleasant Hill
Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864, during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, between Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate forces, led by Maj. Gen...

 and along the Sabine-DeSoto
De Soto Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

 Parish line. The battle took place the following day after the Confederate victory at Mansfield. The action forced the withdrawal of Federal troops along 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....

-Natchitoches
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
Natchitoches 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...

 road, which cut across the northeast section of the parish.

These clashes were regarded as vitally important. Although, they did not affect the ultimate outcome of the war, they frustrated the attempt by Union forces to capture 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....

 and split Texas from the rest of the Confederacy.

Among the Confederate officers from Sabine Parish was Christopher Columbus Nash
Christopher Columbus Nash
Christopher Columbus Nash was a merchant and a Democratic sheriff in Grant Parish, Louisiana, who in 1873 led a company of white militiamen to regain control of the parish courthouse in Colfax, which had been seized by armed African-American insurgents...

, who was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 at Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...

 in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. Nash later, as the sheriff
Sheriff
A 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 Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

, crushed the Colfax Riot of 1873 and established the first chapter of 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 1874.

Railroads come to Sabine

Following the war the steamboat gave way to the railroad. The Texas-Pacific
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....

 was completed in 1882 between 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....

 and New Orleans realizing how important a railroad was to a town, Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill, Louisiana
Pleasant Hill is a village in Sabine Parish in western Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 786. It is best known as the site of The Battle of Pleasant Hill, fought in April 1864.- History :...

 moved itself out of DeSoto
De Soto Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

 Parish to the railroad which was two miles (3 km) away in Sabine Parish. The construction of the Kansas City Southern Railroad
Kansas City Southern Railway
The Kansas City Southern Railway , owned by Kansas City Southern Industries, is the smallest and second-oldest Class I railroad company still in operation. KCS was founded in 1887 and is currently operating in a region consisting of ten central U.S. states...

 through the parish in 1896 led to the founding of the towns of Converse
Converse, Louisiana
Converse is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Converse is located at ....

, Zwolle
Zwolle, Louisiana
Zwolle is a town in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,783 at the 2000 census.-History:The first inhabitants of the bowl shaped area of land upon which the town of Zwolle is situated were the Mound Builders. Lured here for protection from storms, the "bowl" offered them...

, Fisher
Fisher, Louisiana
Fisher is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census.-History:Fisher was named for Oliver Williams Fisher and built between 1899 and 1901 by the Louisiana Long Leaf Lumber Company...

 and Florien
Florien, Louisiana
Florien is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Florien is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....

.

The area was mainly agriculture until the railroads brought lumbermen, who set up sawmills to convert the trees that blanketed the state into lumber to satisfy a worldwide demand for longleaf virgin pine. Three decades later the forest acres were barren and a great many sawmills, including Gandy and Peason moved out. Reforestation was innovated in the early 1940s and pulp and paper mills bought the thinnings. The payoff was the development of Southern Pine plywood and the opening of Vancouver Plywood, Inc., the first plywood mill in the state, in Florien.

Reforestation lagniappe was the creation of Hodges Gardens
Hodges Gardens State Park
Hodges Gardens State Park, previously known as Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area, is located on between Florien and Hornbeck, near the Toledo Bend Reservoir of the Sabine River in Sabine Parish, in west central Louisiana. The park is located on U.S. Highway 171 some fifteen miles south of...

 in the 1950s, which opened a brand new industry. That was tourism, which was augmented with the completion of Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres , the largest man-made body of water in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in the United States. The dam is capable of generating 92 megawatts of...

 in 1968.

WWII & the LA Maneuvers

The largest military maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...

 ever held in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 were staged in and around Sabine Parish in May 1940. This Army Maneuvers in the Sabine River area brought the possibility of war very close as 40,000 officers and men of the Blue Army defended the Sabine River from 30,000 invading Red troops. Soldiers from 33 states took part in the games, which covered 10000 square miles (25,899.9 km²) of cut over pinelands, hills, rivers, and valleys between Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....

 and Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...

, Texas.

Commanding officers and staff members passing through the area comprised a virtual "who's who" in the military. These included Lt. General Ben Lear, Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lt. General Walter Krueger, General George S. Patton, Jr., and Major J. L. Benedict.

Following the discovery of oil in 1928, crude oil and natural gas joined timber as leading natural resources until about 1934 when oil experienced a natural decline. Oil was not a major economic factor again until new reserves were brought in near Many in the 1950s.
Its 1008 square miles (2,610.7 km²) contains some of the finest timber in the world. In addition, Sabine Parish is rich in other natural resources.

Geography

The parish has a total area of 1,012 square miles (2,620 km²), of which, 865 square miles (2,241 km²) of it is land and 146 square miles (379 km²) of it (14.46%) is water.

Sabine Parish is the home of the popular Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area near Many. Built privately in the 1950s, the gardens will come under the management of the State of Louisiana in 2007. The naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...

 Caroline Dormon
Caroline Dormon
Caroline 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...

 helped to lay out the park.

Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres , the largest man-made body of water in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in the United States. The dam is capable of generating 92 megawatts of...

 was constructed in the middle 1960s to provide power and recreation to the Louisiana/Texas border at the Sabine River.

Major highways

  • U.S. Highway 171
  • Louisiana Highway 6
    Louisiana Highway 6
    Louisiana Highway 6 is a state highway in Louisiana. It spans and serves Sabine Parish and Natchitoches Parish.-Route description:...

  • Louisiana Highway 118

Adjacent parishes and counties

  • De Soto Parish
    De Soto Parish, Louisiana
    -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

      (north)
  • Natchitoches Parish
    Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
    Natchitoches 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...

      (east)
  • Vernon Parish
    Vernon Parish, Louisiana
    Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....

      (southeast)
  • Newton County
    Newton County, Texas
    Newton County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. In of 2000, its population was 15,072. Its county seat is Newton. Newton county is named for John Newton, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War...

    , Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

      (southwest)
  • Sabine County, Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

      (west)
  • Shelby County
    Shelby County, Texas
    *Arcadia*Brooklyn*Center*Dreka *Huxley*Joaquin*Possum Trot*Shelbyville *Tenaha*Timpson*Weaver-Education:The following school districts serve Shelby County:*Center ISD*Excelsior ISD...

    , Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

      (northwest)

The border with Sabine County, Texas is rather unusual since the parish and the county both share the same name. The only other instances in which two neighboring counties with the same name share a state border are Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2010 population was 297,619. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 296,772. Its county seat is Pensacola.- History :...

 and Escambia County, Alabama
Escambia County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.1% White*31.9% Black*4.4% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*1.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Bristol County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...

 and Bristol County, Rhode Island
Bristol County, Rhode Island
The border with Bristol County, Massachusetts is rather unusual since the counties both share the same name. The only other instances in which two neighboring counties with the same name share a state border are Sabine County, Texas and Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Union Parish, Louisiana and Union...

, Kent County, Maryland
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...

 and Kent County, Delaware
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...

, and Union County, Arkansas and Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Farmerville....

 respectively.

Demographics

As of the 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...

of 2000, there were 23,459 people, 9,221 households, and 6,593 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 13,671 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 72.67% 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...

, 16.87% 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...

, 7.79% 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...

, 0.02% 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...

, 0.32% 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 2.18% from two or more races. 2.74% 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 9,221 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.70% 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, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the parish the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $26,655, and the median income for a family was $32,470. Males had a median income of $29,726 versus $18,514 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 $15,199. About 16.30% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.00% of those under age 18 and 17.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities and Towns

  • Many
    Many, Louisiana
    Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...

  • Zwolle
    Zwolle, Louisiana
    Zwolle is a town in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,783 at the 2000 census.-History:The first inhabitants of the bowl shaped area of land upon which the town of Zwolle is situated were the Mound Builders. Lured here for protection from storms, the "bowl" offered them...


Villages

  • Converse
    Converse, Louisiana
    Converse is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 400 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Converse is located at ....

  • Fisher
    Fisher, Louisiana
    Fisher is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census.-History:Fisher was named for Oliver Williams Fisher and built between 1899 and 1901 by the Louisiana Long Leaf Lumber Company...

  • Florien
    Florien, Louisiana
    Florien is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Florien is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....

  • Noble
    Noble, Louisiana
    Noble is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 259 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Noble is located at ....

  • Pleasant Hill
    Pleasant Hill, Louisiana
    Pleasant Hill is a village in Sabine Parish in western Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 786. It is best known as the site of The Battle of Pleasant Hill, fought in April 1864.- History :...


  • Unincorporated Communities

    • Ebarb
      Ebarb, Louisiana
      Ebarb is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located along Louisiana Highway 482, west of Zwolle and east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir. The community has a multicultural heritage with strong Spanish, French, and English influences.The community was named...

    • Negreet
      Negreet, Louisiana
      Negreet is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 191 and Louisiana Highway 476, just east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.-History:...


    See also

    • Cliff Ammons
      Cliff Ammons
      Clifton R. Ammons , known as Cliff Ammons, was an educator and businessman from Many, Louisiana, who served from 1960-1964 as a Democrat from Sabine Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives...

       - Former state representative known as "the father of Toledo Bend Reservoir and Lake"
    • Frank Estes Cole
      Frank Estes Cole
      Frank Estes Cole, sometimes known as F. E. Cole , was an educator from Many, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1944 and 1960....

       - Former Many High School football coach who served in both houses of the state legislature
    • Christopher Columbus Nash
      Christopher Columbus Nash
      Christopher Columbus Nash was a merchant and a Democratic sheriff in Grant Parish, Louisiana, who in 1873 led a company of white militiamen to regain control of the parish courthouse in Colfax, which had been seized by armed African-American insurgents...

       - Sabine Parish native who directed the white militia against the Colfax Riot in 1873 and formed 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 1874
    • National Register of Historic Places listings in Sabine Parish, Louisiana
    • Jane H. Smith
      Jane H. Smith
      Jane Holland Smith is a former educator and a departing Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Background:...

       - Sabine Parish native serving in 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...

       from 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...


    External links

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