Vivian, Louisiana

History

Settlement likely began after the construction of the Kansas City Southern Railway through the area in 1898. This caused people to move from their communities on nearby Caddo Lake to be closer to the railroad station. Vivian was incorporated as a town in the same year.

Vivian is locally known for their annual Louisiana Redbud Festival. Originally founded on March 26, 1964 the town claims that it is "one of the longest running festivals in the state of Louisiana".

Geography

Vivian is in northwestern Caddo Parish. Louisiana Highway 1 passes through the center of the town, leading north 11 mi to the Texas border at the northwest corner of Louisiana, and south 30 mi to Shreveport. LA 2 leads east 7 mi to U.S. Route 71 in Hosston.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Vivian has an area of 14.2 km2, all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,073 people, 1,395 households, and 898 families residing in the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,031 people, 1,569 households, and 1,019 families residing in the town. The population density was 782.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,812 housing units at an average density of 351.5 /sqmi.

In 2000, the racial makeup of the town was 63.90% White, 34.19% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population. By 2020, the racial makeup was 50.15% non-Hispanic white, 41.91% African American, 0.91% Asian, 4.62% multiracial, and 1.95% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,569 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.

At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the town was $23,800, and the median income for a family was $29,867. Males had a median income of $26,844 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,267. About 21.4% of families and 26.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The current mayor is Ronnie Festavan.

Media

Caddo Citizen is the newspaper. Radio stations broadcasting from Vivian include KNCB (AM) (1329) classic rock, and KNCB-FM (105.3) classic country.

Education

It is in the Caddo Parish School District.

Notable people

• Dan Flores, historian of the American West, born in Vivian in 1948
• Phil Robertson (1946-2025), inventor of Duck Commander Duck Calls and personality on Duck Dynasty
• Silas Robertson (born 1948), television personality
• Jasper Smith (1905-1992), Vivian lawyer, city attorney, and Louisiana House representative.
• Robert Williams III (1997― ), basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers

Filming location

Exterior shots of the supermarket in the film The Mist were shot in Vivian in 2007 at Tom's Market, and outdoor scenes for Straw Dogs (2011) were filmed in the downtown region in 2009.

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. (2023). "Vivian LA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com.
3. {{GNIS. 2406806
4. (2023). "Town of Vivian – Town of Vivian". Consumer Confidence Report.
5. "Home". Vivian, Louisiana.
6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Vivian town, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
8. "Explore Census Data".
9. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. Geography Division. (December 18, 2020). "2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Caddo Parish, LA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
11. "Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2012". legis.state.la.us.