Washington Parish, Louisiana

History

Washington Parish was formed in 1819 by splitting off from St. Tammany Parish. Franklinton was designated as the parish seat on February 10, 1821.

Washington Parish is the most northeasterly of what are called the Florida Parishes. Great Britain took over control of this French territory east of the Mississippi River in 1763 after defeating France in the Seven Years' War. But France had also ceded some territory to Spain. This area was under contention, and English and American settlers tried to set up an independent state here in 1810. The United States annexed the territory, later settling with Spain in a treaty. Through much of this period, the French influence remained strong in the region, especially in its former colonial cities.

This area was rural and forested with virgin longleaf pine (Pinus palustris L.) In the early 20th century, entrepreneurial brothers Frank and Charles W. Goodyear, already successful businessmen from Buffalo, New York, purchased hundreds of thousands of acres of forest in this area and in southwestern Mississippi. They established the Great Southern Lumber Company, constructed a huge sawmill (the largest in the world at the time) in the middle of the forest, and developed Bogalusa, Louisiana, as a company mill town. In the early 20th century, there were numerous confrontations as workers attempted to unionize and companies hired private militia to suppress such activities.

The company housing for workers was divided by Jim Crow custom and state laws on racial segregation into sections for "Americans" and another for "colored" and foreign workers. It also built housing for supervisors, and supporting facilities, such as several hotels, churches, a YMCA and YWCA, schools, and other services within a year, opening facilities in 1907. To access the timber and transport processed lumber from the mill to markets, the company built the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad, connecting Bogalusa to the port of New Orleans.

Well before World War II, the virgin forest was harvested. Great Southern Lumber Company closed the sawmill in 1938. Its paper mill and chemical operations continued. Gradually in the late 20th century, these operations declined. As jobs left, the population dropped in such industrial towns. Some people moved to new or emerging industries in New Orleans and other major cities.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 676 sqmi, of which 670 sqmi is land and 6.4 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Adjacent counties and parishes

• Pike County, Mississippi (northwest)
• Walthall County, Mississippi (north)
• Marion County, Mississippi (northeast)
• Pearl River County, Mississippi (east)
• St. Tammany Parish (south)
• Tangipahoa Parish (west)

Major highways

• [[Image:Louisiana 10 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 10
• [[Image:Louisiana 16 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 16
• [[Image:Louisiana 21 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 21
• [[Image:Louisiana 25 (2008).svg|25px]] Louisiana Highway 25

National protected area

• Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State park

• Bogue Chitto State Park

Communities

City

• Bogalusa (largest municipality)

Town

• Franklinton (parish seat)

Villages

• Angie
• Varnado

Census-designated place

• Rio

Unincorporated communities

• Enon
• Mount Hermon
• Pine
• Thomas
• Warnerton

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 45,463, 17,944 households, and 11,924 families residing there. The median age was 41.3 years, with 23.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.4% 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.7 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the parish was 65.9% White, 28.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

24.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 75.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 17,944 households in the parish, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.0% were married-couple households, 21.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,341 housing units in the parish, of which 15.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.4% were owner-occupied and 27.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census, there were 43,926 people, 16,467 households, and 11,642 families residing in the parish. The population density was 66 PD/sqmi. There were 19,106 housing units at an average density of 28 /sqmi.

In 2000, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 67.42% White, 31.53% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races; 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, there were 16,467 households, out of which 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were married couples living together, 17.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the parish was $24,264, and the median income for a family was $29,480. Males had a median income of $27,964 versus $17,709 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,915. About 19.40% of families and 24.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.20% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over. Washington Parish has the second highest level of poverty in the state after Orleans Parish.

Economy

Washington Parish is currently known for its agriculture, particularly watermelons. Through much of the 20th century, its economy was based on its timber and paper industry.

In 1906, The Great Southern Lumber Company, founded by the Goodyear brothers from New York, purchased huge tracts of forest and established a sawmill in Bogalusa to harvest the local virgin pine forests. This company was the first to introduce reforestation in order to sustain the timber industry locally. Taken over by Crown Zellerbach, it later started a paper mill and chemical businesses in the area.

The local business passed through several hands as the lumber and related industries restructured through the late 20th century. In the 21st century, Temple-Inland Corporation is the largest employer in the parish.

Education

Students residing outside of Ward 4, most of the parish, attend Washington Parish School System. Students within Ward 4 attend Bogalusa City Schools. The Bogalusa district serves the City of Bogalusa, Rio, and some unincorporated areas.

Northshore Technical Community College is located in Bogalusa.

Politics

Corrections

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates the B.B. "Sixty" Rayburn Correctional Center near the village of Varnado,LA.

National Guard

Bogalusa is home to the headquarters of the 205th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade. Franklinton is the home of the 843rd Engineer Company.

Notable people

• Oneal Moore (1931-1965), US Army veteran and first African-American deputy sheriff in Washington Parish Sheriff's Office; murdered while in uniform in a drive-by shooting, June 2, 1965. Case never solved.
• Henry "Tank" Powell (born 1945), state representative from Tangipahoa Parish from 1996 to 2008; member of the Louisiana Board of Pardons since 2008
• Weldon Russell (born 1946), former state representative for Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes; born in Washington Parish
• Malinda Brumfield White (born 1967), state representative for Washington and St. Tammany parishes, effective 2016
• Katherine Haik (born 2000), from Franklinton, named Miss Teen USA 2015 at the age of fifteen
• Curtis "Curt" Matthew Thomas (1923-1994), former Louisiana politician, civil rights advocate, former Washington Parish registrar of voters, WWII Purple Heart veteran, and longest serving accessor in Washington Parish history
• JayDaYoungan (1998-2022) Bogalusa native and rapper most well known for his song 23 island. He was gunned down in 2022 by five unknown assailants.

References

Sources

• [ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/washingt/history/history1.txt "Washington Parish, Louisiana" by Janice M. Berfield, 1968]
• [ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/washingt/history/wphistory.txt "History of Washington Parish", by Hon. Prentiss B. Carter]
• Bogalusa Story, by C. W. Goodyear
• Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana: History, Links, Maps, and Photos
• Bogalusa Daily News

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Washington Parish, Louisiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. "Washington Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism.
4. "Washington Parish Profile".
5. [http://www.msrailroads.com/NOGN.htm Mississippi Rails: New Orleans Great Northern Railroad] Retrieved November 23, 2013
6. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
11. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
12. "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)".
13. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin".
14. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Washington Parish, Louisiana".
15. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington Parish, Louisiana".
16. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington Parish, Louisiana".
17. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
18. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
19. not an option in the 1980 Census
20. not an option in the 1990 Census
21. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
22. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
23. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
24. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
25. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington Parish, LA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
27. link. (2008-09-15 ." ''[[Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections]]''. Accessed September 14, 2008.)