Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
| Caldwell Parish, Louisiana | |
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 Location in the state of Louisiana |
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 Louisiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1838 |
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| Named for | Local Caldwell family |
| Seat | Columbia |
| Largest city | Clarks |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
541 sq mi (1,400 km²) 529 sq mi (1,371 km²) 11 sq mi (29 km²), 2.09% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
10,560 20/sq mi (8/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Caldwell Parish (French: Paroisse de Caldwell) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Columbia and as of 2000, the population was 10,560. Most Caldwell Parish residents live in the country even beyond the three rural communities in the parish.
The Martin Homeplace Museum north of Columbia is based on a still-standing farmhouse built in 1878. The house has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Caldwell Parish is home to the Marengo Suicide Swamp Ride, hosted by the organization Wish-I-Could of Northeast Louisiana.
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[edit] Geography
The parish has a total area of 541 square miles (1,401.2 km2), of which 529 square miles (1,370.1 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28.5 km2) (2.09%) is water.
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Adjacent parishes
- Ouachita Parish (north)
- Richland Parish (northeast)
- Franklin Parish (east)
- Catahoula Parish (southeast)
- La Salle Parish (south)
- Winn Parish (southwest)
- Jackson Parish (northwest)
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Jackson Parish | Ouachita Parish | Richland Parish | |
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Franklin Parish | |||
 Caldwell Parish, Louisiana  |
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| Winn Parish | La Salle Parish | Catahoula Parish |
[edit] Demographics
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 6,917 |
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| 1910 | 8,593 | 24.2% | |
| 1920 | 9,514 | 10.7% | |
| 1930 | 10,430 | 9.6% | |
| 1940 | 12,046 | 15.5% | |
| 1950 | 10,293 | −14.6% | |
| 1960 | 9,004 | −12.5% | |
| 1970 | 9,354 | 3.9% | |
| 1980 | 10,761 | 15.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,810 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 10,560 | 7.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,132 | −4.1% | |
| Caldwell Parish Census Data[1] | |||
As of the census[2] 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 (8/km²). There were 5,035 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 80.43% White, 17.90% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. 1.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,941 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% 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 2.99.
In the parish the population was spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 103.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.20 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $26,972, and the median income for a family was $33,653. Males had a median income of $29,677 versus $19,475 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,884. About 17.70% of families and 21.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.10% of those under age 18 and 19.50% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Education
The Caldwell Parish School Board serves the parish. There are four elementary schools in the parish but only one high school, Caldwell Parish High School, located between Columbia and Grayson.
[edit] Notable natives and residents
- Buddy Caldwell, Louisiana State Attorney General, elected in 2007
- Graves B. Erskine, U.S. Marine Corps general; combat officer in World War I, having received the Silver Star and Purple Heart; U.S. Commander of the 3rd Marine Division in World War II in the Battle of Iwo Jima, having earned the Distinguished Service Medal
- J.D. DeBlieux, Louisiana State Senator representing East Baton Rouge Parish, 1956-1960 & 1964-1976
- Hubert D. Humphreys, Louisiana historian and native of Grayson
- Jack Keahey, former president of the Caldwell Parish School Board and the Louisiana School Boards Association; national president of Aerial Applicators Association, and former president of the Tensas Basin Levee Board
- Pam Kelly, recipient of the Wade Trophy, the most valuable women's collegiate basketball player in the nation
- John J. McKeithen, governor of Louisiana (1964–1972); Louisiana Public Service Commissioner (1955–1964); state representative (1948–1952); U.S. Army combat officer (1942–1945) having received two Bronze Stars in the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima
- W. Fox McKeithen, Louisiana House of Representatives (1984–1988); five-term Louisiana Secretary of State (1988–2005)
- Neil Riser, Louisiana State Senator elected in 2007 from the 32nd District, which includes Caldwell Parish, the first Republican from this district since Reconstruction
- Chet D. Traylor, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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