Bienville Parish, Louisiana
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Bienville Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of 2000, the population is 15,752.
Bienville Parish is a Democratic stronghold. However, Republican President George W. Bush secured a close victory in the parish in 2004. He polled 3,612 votes (50 percent) to 3,399 (47 percent) for Democrat John F. Kerry.
The notorious bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed when captured in Bienville Parish in 1934. The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland contains memorabilia about the capture.
The highest point in Louisiana, Mt. Driskill, 535 feet in elevaton, is located in Bienville Parish.
Bienville Parish was represented in the Louisiana State Senate from 1948-1960 by a fiery segregationist and 1959 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, William M. Rainach of neighboring Claiborne Parish.
The Louisiana botanist and preservationist Caroline Dormon (1888-1971) grew up in Bienville Parish.
Lorris M. Wimberly, a Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, was a native and resident of Arcadia. Wimberly served in the House from 1928-1940 and again from 1948-1956; he was Speaker from 1936-1940, 1950-1952, and briefly in 1956. His father, Joseph Rush Wimberly, I, served in the legislature from 1900-1908 and was thereafter a judge.
[edit] Geography
The parish has a total area of 2,128 km² (822 mi²). 2,100 km² (811 mi²) of it is land and 29 km² (11 mi²) of it (1.35%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
[edit] Adjacent parishes
- Claiborne Parish (north)
- Lincoln Parish (northeast)
- Jackson Parish (east)
- Winn Parish (southeast)
- Natchitoches Parish (south)
- Red River Parish (southwest)
- Bossier Parish (west)
- Webster Parish (northwest)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 15,752 people, 6,108 households, and 4,214 families residing in the parish. The population density was 8/km² (19/mi²). There were 7,830 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (10/mi²). The racial makeup of the parish was 54.92% White, 43.78% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,108 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.70% were married couples living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 28.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the parish the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $23,663, and the median income for a family was $30,241. Males had a median income of $28,022 versus $18,682 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $12,471. About 21.80% of families and 26.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.00% of those under age 18 and 23.20% of those age 65 or over.
