Logansport, Louisiana

Downtown Logansport

The Veterans Memorial in Logansport

N.J. Caraway Department Store in Logansport dates to 1907.

Logansport High School off Louisiana State Highway 5

Logansport is a town in western DeSoto Parish adjacent to the Sabine River in western Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,555 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area, long a disputed boundary even after the Louisiana Purchase, was part of a neutral territory negotiated by Gen. James Wilkinson and Lt. Col. Simón de Herrera on November 6, 1806.

The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, that was not ratified until 1821, would have been a solution but in 1921 Mexico's independence reignited the dispute. Dr. Logan moved to the area in 1830 began practicing medicine in Louisiana and Texas. He chartered a ferry business in the area and it became known as Logan's Ferry.

Texas won independence in 1836, and the newly formed Republic of Texas agreed to the Adams–Onís Treaty, so the Sabine River became the international boundary. The survey crew began the demarcation process on May 20, 1840, at the Gulf of Mexico, and work was completed in 1841. Boundary markers were placed along the boundary, that included one in Logansport. This marker apparently is the only one surviving, meaning it is the only known international boundary marker in the United States. The Texas Annexation of 1845, ended nine years of the Sabine River international boundary.

The name Logansport was given to the town when a post office was established February 28, 1848. There were few people living in the town prior to the arrival of the railroad. With the arrival of the railroad, there was an influx of gamblers and others of questionable character, along with the citizens of better repute. At one time Logansport had more saloons than grocery stores. The town began to grow and it was incorporated. The first election was held on June 25, 1887. In this election there were only 15 qualified voters listed. Elijah Price was elected Mayor along with 5 other trustees. Oil and gas were also a very important source of income for the early citizens of Logansport.

Geography

Logansport is located at 31°58′29″N 93°59′51″W (31.974785, -93.997471). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (4.45%) is water.

The Logansport riverfront is an entrance off U.S. Highway 84 into Louisiana from Texas. It has a terraced landscape, veteran's memorial, walking paths, gazebo, picnic tables, and a pavilion. Logansport offers activities throughout the year for families to enjoy.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	281		—
1900	688		144.8%
1910	420		−39.0%
1920	632		50.5%
1930	1,040		64.6%
1940	1,222		17.5%
1950	1,270		3.9%
1960	1,371		8.0%
1970	1,330		−3.0%
1980	1,565		17.7%
1990	1,390		−11.2%
2000	1,630		17.3%
2010	1,555		−4.6%
2015 (est.)	1,564		0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,555 people. The number of males, 703. The number of females, 852. The population density was 506.4 people per square mile (195.4/km²). There were 787 housing units at an average density of 244.5 per square mile (94.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 57.42% White, 41.17% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.

There were 656 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% 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 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,546, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $31,339 versus $22,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,695. About 28.0% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.9% of those under age 18 and 27.1% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Newspaper

The Toledo Bend Tribune, a local newspaper for Logansport closed in 2007. There is currently no local newspaper for the town. There is however a quarterly and popular magazine titled DeSoto Life, that covers all of DeSoto Parish although it is addressed in Logansport, Louisiana. There is an online newspaper to cover DeSoto Parish based out of Logansport.

Name	Serve
Town of Logansport newspaper	Town of Logansport

Government

The mayor of the town is Kathrine Freeman. The town clerk is Sharon Stewart. The town billing clerk is Terri Hamon. The town's occupational and property tax clerk is Lekia Henderson.

Notable people

• Larry Bagley is the Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 7, which includes Logansport.
• Richard "Richie" Burford is the Republican former member of the state House for District 7 and an unsuccessful candidate for the District 38 seat in the Louisiana State Senate in the general election held on November 21, 2015.
• J. Earl Downs, public safety commissioner in Shreveport, 1954 to 1962; educator and coach in Logansport in 1930s
• Dennis Freeman served as mayor of Logansport from 1984 until his death in 2007.
• John Spencer Hardy (1913-2012), a Logansport native and a lieutenant general during World War II, headed the United States Army Air Corps in the Mediterranean Sea. He spent his later years in Shreveport.
• O. E. Price, born in Logansport in 1924, served as a municipal, district, and state appeal court judge from Bossier City
• Country blues musician Ramblin' Thomas (1902–1945) was born in Logansport.