Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield: Huey Long, Earl K. Long, and Oscar K. Allen.[2]
Winnfield, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Winnfield | |
 Location of Winnfield in Winn Parish, Louisiana | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′24″N 92°38′25″W / 31.92333°N 92.64028°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Winn |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council/mayor |
| • Mayor | Mayor Gerald "Scooter" Hamms (Dem) Winnfield City Council: |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.64 sq mi (9.43 km2) |
| • Land | 3.64 sq mi (9.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 128 ft (39 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 4,153 |
| • Density | 1,140.31/sq mi (440.32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 71483 |
| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-82460 |
| Website | Official website |
History
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When Winn Parish was officially formed by the state legislature in 1852, Winnfield was established as the parish seat.[citation needed] During the Civil War, the area around Winnfield was the site of some minor skirmishes. Confederate forces defeated a Union detachment near Salsbury Bridge sent to destroy the Drake's Salt Works in the area.[citation needed]
Many Civil War bandits made the region their home. Among these were the West and Kimbrel clan.
Three Louisiana governors were Winnfield natives and grew up here: Huey Long, Oscar K. Allen and Earl Long. Huey Long became governor, U.S. Senator. He was assassinated in 1935. Oscar K. Allen was elected governor in 1932. Earl Long, "the Louisiana Longshot," served in a variety of state positions, said to be more than other Louisianan, including elective office.[citation needed] He was elected governor in 1939, 1948 and 1956. He was elected to Congress in 1960 but died before he could assume office.
Winnfield was a major producer of salt in the Civil War days; salt kettles used at Big Cedar and Drake's Salt Works furnished salt for the Confederate army. One still exists today in front of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame, turned into a fountain. The salt works was located on Saline Bayou.[3] Later the Cary Salt Works started an 840-foot deep mine west of Winnfield. The mine was used by the federal government in Project Coyboy Plowshare Program, Cowboy Event. Between December 1959 and March 1960 a series of high explosives were set off inside the Carry Salt Works in an unused portion of the mine.[4][5][6] The mine was later flooded by an underground river. The mine and all equipment inside were abandoned.
The rock quarry operated near or on top of the salt mine and produced limestone and gravel still operates today as Winn Rock.
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km2), all land.
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 133 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,925 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,975 | 1.7% | |
| 1930 | 3,721 | 25.1% | |
| 1940 | 4,512 | 21.3% | |
| 1950 | 5,629 | 24.8% | |
| 1960 | 7,022 | 24.7% | |
| 1970 | 7,142 | 1.7% | |
| 1980 | 7,311 | 2.4% | |
| 1990 | 6,138 | −16.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,749 | −6.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,840 | −15.8% | |
| 2020 | 4,153 | −14.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,636 | 39.39% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,210 | 53.21% |
| Native American | 18 | 0.43% |
| Asian | 4 | 0.1% |
| Other/mixed | 157 | 3.78% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 128 | 3.08% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,153 people, 1,967 households, and 1,173 families residing in the city.
Economy
edit
As of 2014[update], according to Bauer, Walmart, Winn Correctional Center, and the area lumber mill offer the majority of the jobs in the Winnfield area; because of the poverty in the area, residents are willing to take low-paying jobs at Winn Correctional Center despite the danger present there.[9]
Arts and culture
editMuseums
editAnnual events
edit- Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials – a yearly bay dog event
- Louisiana Forest Festival
Education
editPublic schools
editWinn Parish School Board operates local public schools, which include:
- Winnfield Senior High School (9–12)
- Winnfield Middle School (5–8)
- Winnfield Primary School (K–4)
Higher education
edit- Central Louisiana Technical Community College — Huey P. Long campus
Media
editNewspapers
edit- The Piney Woods Journal
- Winn Parish Enterprise
- Winn Parish Journal
TV
edit- KCDH-LP, cable only
Radio
edit- KVCL-FM - country music
Notable people
edit- A. Leonard Allen, U. S. Congressman
- Oscar K. Allen, governor of Louisiana[2]
- George Washington Bolton, businessman and patriarch of the Bolton family of Alexandria; lived in Winnfield in the latter 1860s
- Harley Bozeman, tree farmer, politician, historian, confidant of Huey and Earl Long[10]
- P. J. Brown, professional basketball player
- John Burrows, professional baseball player
- Randy Fenoli, fashion designer, star of Say Yes to the Dress andRandy to the Rescue[11]
- Earl K. Long, governor of Louisiana[2]
- Gillis William Long, U. S. Congressman
- Huey Pierce Long Jr., governor of Louisiana, senator from Louisiana[2]
- Speedy Long, U. S. Congressman, attended high school in Winnfield
- Dick Merrill, aviator
- Thomas D. Milling, brigadier general, United States Air Force
- Preston Powell, professional football player
- William Jay Smith, Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress 1968–1970
- Anthony Thomas, professional football player
- Jack Wallace, professional baseball player, minor league manager
References
edit- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "The City of Winnfield, Louisiana, Official website, Retrieved on February 10, 2009
- ^ Davies, Greggory E. "1948 History of Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA". USGenWeb Archives.
- ^ Project Cowboy: Fracturing of rock salt by a contained high explosive. Ucrl ;6054. Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. 1960.
- ^ "Cowboy Trails. Phase I. Small-Scale Explosive Tests in Salt Domes. Part 1. Goals, Methods and Conclusions. Part 2. Experimental Program". November 19, 2015. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015.
- ^ "Project Coyboy - Coyboy Event - Project Plowboy WinnFreeNet.com". winnfield.winnfreenet.com.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
- ^ "My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard: Part One ." Mother Jones. June 23, 2016. Retrieved on July 2, 2016. About 2:50 through 3:20 of 4:30.
- ^ Harley Bozeman obituary, Winn Parish Enterprise-News-American, May 20, 1971
- ^ Shanfelt, Eric (February 1, 2012). "Randy to the Rescue: TLC's Ultimage Bridal Event". New Orleans. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
External links
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