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Bossier City, Louisiana

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Bossier City (/ˈboʊʒər/;[1] French: Ville de Bossier) is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.[2][3]

As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 68,315. 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 center of the region known as the Ark-La-Tex.

It is not the parish seat. The parish courthouse is located instead in Benton about 12 miles (19 km) to the north of Bossier City.

History

19th Century

In the 1830s Bossier City was known as Bennett's Bluff. Bennett's Bluff was named after William Bennett, who with his wife Mary Ciley and his business partner James Cane, owned a plantation near the Red River, in now south Bossier. The Cane & Bennett Trading Post had printed paper money and was successful, even though both Cane and Bennett died before the Civil War. Ciley remarried Cane after Bennett's death. The plantation then became known as Cane's Landing. Cane’s Landing had a ferry, and served as a shipping point. The post was run by the widowed Mrs. Cane. Steamboat loads of cotton, corn, and sweet potatoes were shipped to markets in the south and east, from the plantation port. Later on Cane's Landing would become known as Cane City.

In 1843, a section of land was divided out of the Great Natchitoches district and Claiborne Parish areas and was called Bossier Parish. The section of land was named in honor of Pierre Evariste John Baptiste Bossier. Pierre Bossier was a former creole general, who became a cotton farmer in Bossier Parish. He is considered one of the first settlers in the area.

In the 1840s, the Great Western Migration began and the parish grew in population. Many early settlers passed through the region on their way to the wild west. By 1850, over 200 wagons a week passed through Bossier City. Some of these settlers stayed, attracted by the soil and river valley. In 1850, the census listed the population at around 6,962.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, companies of Confederate soldiers left Cane's Landing aboard steamboats for the distant battlefields. Mrs. Cane hosted hundreds of Confederate officers and troops who were heading off to war. Mrs. Cane’s plantation was fortified to protect Shreveport by three batteries with Fort Kirby Smith in the center. The others were: Batteries Price, and Walker & Ewell.

Fort Smith stood near the now Bossier High School and protected the area from an eastern invasion. The Civil War hit Bossier Parish in 1861 and ended in Shreveport four years later, when the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered.

Shed road

Shed Road, the first all-weather turnpike in the American South, was constructed in the 1870s and operated from 1874–1886. It extended for nine miles (14 km) from Red Chute to the Red River. There was a plantation at the end of the elevated and covered roadway, which was reached by a ferry boat. The covered road made the transportation of goods easier before the arrival of the railroads.

Classification as a city

Anna B., granddaughter of James and Mary, felt the area would prosper and began promoting the idea of a riverfront city. Anna B. and J. J. Stockwell sold lots in 1883. The area grew quickly, as did transportation through it.

Cane City was said as being incorporated by former Governor N. C. Blanchard and renamed as the Village of Bossier City. It has grown from an area of one square mile to a city containing over 35 square miles (91 km2) and 25,000 acres (100 km2). Continued growth led to Bossier City’s classification being changed from village to town by Governor John M. Parker. Later, Governor Earl Kemp Long issued a proclamation classifying Bossier City a city.

The golden spike, commemorated the completion of the east-west Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad. It was driven at Bossier City on July 12, 1884, by Julia "Pansy" Rule. It is the first such spike to be driven by a woman. The north-south Shreveport and Arkansas Railroad was completed on April 6, 1888. The Louisiana-Arkansas Railroad was completed on November 2, 1909. The Dixie Overland Highway from the east to west coast was built in 1918. These railroads and highways combined to make Bossier City a hub for future activity.

The discovery of petroleum crude oil, to the south, in 1908, thrust Bossier City into the nationwide oil boom. Bossier's central location to the rural oil fields made it a major player in the oil patch. Several international oil companies are located here. The advantages brought by black gold fueled many civic, social and economic improvements.

A fire on June 23, 1925, consumed one-half of downtown Bossier City. Local citizens were unable to battle the blaze. The loss spurred civic improvements including a modern water system, capable of fighting such fires, a new City Hall, a modern fire alarm system, modern sidewalks and the first city park.

In the 1930s construction began on Barksdale AFB. The first unit assigned to Barksdale was the 20th Pursuit Group. Before World War II, Barksdale was a training school for the Army Air Corps. During WWII Barksdale trained pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. Later the base became one of the key bases of the Strategic Air Command in the new Air Force. Barksdale is the headquarters for the 8th Air Force. The land that base is built was purchased by local residents who donated the land to the U.S. Army.

Around the 1890s Cane City had a population of around 600 and has now become Bossier City with a population that was 56,461 as of the 2000 Census. First a cotton exporting river landing, next a railroad town, then an airbase and oil-boom town, now known for its tourism and recreational gaming.[4][5]

Geography

Bossier City is located at 32°31′4″N 93°41′29″W / 32.51778°N 93.69139°W / 32.51778; -93.69139 (32.517651, -93.691397)Template:GR and has an elevation of 174 feet (53.0 m).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.6 square miles (108 km2), of which, 40.8 square miles (106 km2) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) of it (1.90%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910775—
19201,09441.2%
19304,003265.9%
19405,78644.5%
195015,470167.4%
196032,776111.9%
197041,59526.9%
198050,81722.2%
199052,7213.7%
200056,4617.1%
201068,31521.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2010, there were 68,315 people,[3] 25,200 households, and 14,901 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,382.6 people per square mile (533.8/km²). There were 23,026 housing units at an average density of 563.9 per square mile (217.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.44% White, 22.74% African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.95% of the population.

There were 23,197 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. Nearly 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city of Bossier City, the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,561, and the median income for a family was $42,642. Males had a median income of $30,632 versus $22,174 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,032. About 11.4% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bossier City residents are zoned to Bossier Parish Schools.

Schools

The Public schools in the area are listed below

Community Colleges

High Schools

  • Airline High School
  • Benton High School
  • Bossier High School
  • Haughton High School
  • Parkway High School
  • Plain Dealing High/Middle School

Middle Schools

  • Benton Middle School
  • Cope Middle School
  • Elm Grove Middle School
  • Greenacres Middle School
  • Haughton Middle School
  • Plain Dealing Middle/High School
  • Rusheon Middle School

Elementary Schools

  • Apollo Elementary School
  • Bellaire Elementary School
  • Benton Elementary School
  • Bossier Elementary School
  • Carrie Martin Elementary School
  • Central Park Elementary School
  • Curtis Elementary School
  • Elm Grove Elementary School
  • Kerr Elementary School
  • Legacy Elementary School
  • Meadowview Elementary School
  • Plantation Park Elementary School
  • Platt Elementary School
  • Princeton Elementary School
  • Rhodes Elementary School
  • Stockwell Place Elementary School
  • Sun City Elementary School
  • W.T. Lewis Elementary School
  • Waller Elementary School

Media

Newspapers

Bossier City is served by the Bossier Press-Tribune and Shreveport Times. In addition, The Forum Newsweekly, City Lights and SB Magazine are newsmagazines in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Television

See Shreveport, Louisiana

Music

Bossier City is a song by David Allan Coe, in which he sings, "And it sure smells like snow in Bossier City...".Also Johnny Rodriguez recorded a song called "Achin' Bossier City Backyard Blues" in 1972.

Radio

i97.3 KMJJ Magic 102.9 KRMD

Notable people

Military

Bossier City is the location of Barksdale Air Force Base, home of the 2nd Bomb Wing, 8th Air Force, and 307th Bomb Wing. It was established February 2, 1933 and is one of the area's largest employers. Barksdale encompasses 22,000 acres (89 km2) and hosts the majority of the B-52 Stratofortresses used by the United States Air Force.

Sports, gambling, and entertainment

Horseshoe Casino offers gambling entertainment in the Shreveport-Bossier metro area.
CenturyLink Center hosts athletic events and concerts in Bossier City.

Bossier City and Shreveport now share an all women's flat track roller derby team named the Twin City Knockers. The team is the newest competing sport in the area being founded in January 2010. Games known as bouts are hosted at Hot Wheels skating rink located in south Bossier.

The CenturyLink Center (formally CenturyTel Center) in Bossier City was the home of the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings af2 arena football team, as well as the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League. The arena has hosted top performers, including Britney Spears and Aerosmith, as well as rodeos, ice shows, and children's entertainment.[citation needed]

The 2005 Red River Classic PRCA Rodeo to be hosted at the CenturyTel Center was cancelled due to the arena being used as a shelter for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.[7] average attendance statistics?

The city hosts three riverboat casino gambling resorts along the east bank of the Red River: Horseshoe, Boomtown, and Diamond Jack's. Horse racing and gambling on slot machines is also available at Harrah's Louisiana Downs, which opened in 1974. statistics on money brought in by the casinos on average? were these made possible under Edwin Edwards' riverboat gambling initiatives?

References

  1. ^ Template:USdict
  2. ^ "Bossier City, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes),City Data, 2007, webpage: City-data.com.
  3. ^ a b "Census 2000 Data for the State of Louisiana" (town list), US Census Bureau, May 2003, webpage: Census.gov.
  4. ^ City of Bossier City Centennial
  5. ^ City of Bossier City
  6. ^ "O.E. Price obituary". Shreveport Times, February 24, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "2005 Red River Classic PRCA Rodea Cancelled" (PDF). CenturyTel Center, 2005. Retrieved April 22, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bossier City, Louisiana.
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