Vernon Parish, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| Parish of Vernon | |
 Vernon Parish courthouse in Leesville | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofLouisiana | |
 Louisiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Region | Central Louisiana |
| Founded | March 30, 1871 (154 years ago) (1871-03-30) |
| Named after | Mount Vernon |
| Parish seat | Leesville |
| Largest municipality | Simpson (area) Leesville (population) |
| Incorporated municipalities | 6 (total)
|
| Area | |
• Total | 1,341 sq mi (3,470 km2) |
| • Land | 1,328 sq mi (3,440 km2) |
| • Water | 14 sq mi (36 km2) |
| • percentage | 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 48,750 |
| • Density | 36.71/sq mi (14.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 337 |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | Vernon Parish Police Jury |
Vernon Parish (French:Paroisse de Vernon) is aparish located in the U.S. state ofLouisiana. As of the2020 census, the population was 48,750.[1] Theparish seat and most populous municipality isLeesville.[2] Bordered on the west by theSabine River, the parish was founded in 1871 during theReconstruction era.[3]
It was long a center of the timber industry, which harvested pine in the hills and bottomland hardwoods. Construction of a railway to the area in 1897 stimulated the marketing of lumber and businesses in the area.
SinceWorld War II,Fort Polk, formerly Fort Johnson, has been most important to the parish economy. The population of the Leesville area rapidly increased fivefold after the fort was opened. Vernon Parish is part of theFort Polk South, LAMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in theDeRidder-Fort Polk South, LACombined Statistical Area.[citation needed]
The area comprising Vernon was a part of a tract of land whose control was disputed in the late 18th century between the United States and Spain. They called this land the "Neutral Strip" and refrained from posting police or military personnel there. As a result, the area became a haven for outlaws. Prior to the United States acquisition of this territory through theLouisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the primary settlers who came to the area were ethnic French and Spanish.
During this period, Dr. Timothy Burr, a Massachusetts native who had migrated to Louisiana from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, established the community of Burr Ferry at his landing on the Sabine River. This community became known as the "Gateway toLouisiana" from the west. For decades this area was part of theNatchitoches,Rapides, andSabine parishes, which were established soon after the US acquired this territory in the early nineteenth century. The timber industry was most important to the local economy, with both pines of the hills and bottomland hardwoods being harvested. Some landowners had their land cleared by slaves to establish plantations for cotton cultivation.
During the American Civil War, an artillery site was constructed nearby. Now called the "Confederate Breast Works", it was manned by theConfederacy to guard against Union movements along the Nolan Trace.[4][5]
On March 30. 1871, theLouisianaGeneral Assembly passed an act to create Vernon Parish, by taking territory from the three parishes noted above, as population had increased in the area. There are four versions of how the parish was named; the only official State version is that it was named in honor ofMt. Vernon, the home ofGeorge Washington.[6]
Leesville was designated as theparish seat of Vernon from the start. It was incorporated February 15, 1900. The city was founded by Dr. Edmund E. Smart, who donated land from his plantation for the development of the parish seat. It was named by Senator John Rowell Smart, his father, in honor of GeneralRobert E. Lee. The Big House from the Smart plantation still stands, where the city has grown up around it. It is located at what today is the corner of Lula and First streets.[5]
In folklore there are different claims about who it was named for, including:
In the late 1890s the timber industry, which was the dominant industry in the parish from its creation, began to boom with the construction of theKansas City Southern Railway in 1897. It increased access to markets. The railway continues to operate in the early 21st century.[5]
In the period after World War I, Vernon Parish became the site of two socialist-based communities. The Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony[9] developed asNew Llano, established in 1917. The second was the Christian Commonwealth Colony. These colonies attempted to attract economists and sociologists to conduct an experiment in communal membership and the sharing of labor duties. Llano del Rio was the larger community, with more than 10,000 people, and was also the longest-surviving. Both colonies failed in the 1930s during the economic stress of theGreat Depression.[5]
In 1941, theUnited States Army openedCamp Polk, shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe, with the German invasion of Poland and other actions. Camp Polk quickly surpassed the timber industry as the dominant force in the parish's economy. After the camp opened, the population of the parish seat ofLeesville rapidly climbed from 3,500 to 18,000. Named afterLeonidas Polk, the first Episcopal Bishop inLouisiana and known as the "Fighting Bishop of the Confederacy", it served as one of the major Army training camps duringWorld War II.
In the 21st century,Fort Polk is the 5th-largest military installation in the nation. The facility covers approximately 200,000 acres (810 km2). It has stimulated the development of associated businesses in the area and related populations. With the regular reassignment of soldiers, accompanied by dependents, to and from the fort, Vernon Parish has a more varied culture than might be expected from its location. Its residents come from all over the country.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1,341 square miles (3,470 km2), of which 1,328 square miles (3,440 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.0%) is water.[10] It is the largest parish in Louisiana by land area.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 5,160 | — | |
| 1890 | 5,903 | 14.4% | |
| 1900 | 10,327 | 74.9% | |
| 1910 | 17,384 | 68.3% | |
| 1920 | 20,493 | 17.9% | |
| 1930 | 20,047 | −2.2% | |
| 1940 | 19,142 | −4.5% | |
| 1950 | 18,974 | −0.9% | |
| 1960 | 18,301 | −3.5% | |
| 1970 | 53,794 | 193.9% | |
| 1980 | 53,475 | −0.6% | |
| 1990 | 61,961 | 15.9% | |
| 2000 | 52,531 | −15.2% | |
| 2010 | 52,334 | −0.4% | |
| 2020 | 48,750 | −6.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010[15] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[16] | Pop 1990[17] | Pop 2000[18] | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 40,295 | 44,012 | 37,483 | 37,794 | 33,599 | 75.35% | 71.03% | 71.35% | 72.22% | 68.92% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9,641 | 12,626 | 8,782 | 7,280 | 6,325 | 18.03% | 20.38% | 16.72% | 13.91% | 12.97% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 238 | 416 | 712 | 684 | 484 | 0.45% | 0.67% | 1.36% | 1.31% | 0.99% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 893 | 1,419 | 786 | 881 | 862 | 1.67% | 2.29% | 1.50% | 1.68% | 1.77% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[21] | x[22] | 152 | 242 | 289 | x | x | 0.29% | 0.46% | 0.59% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 169 | 83 | 84 | 62 | 274 | 0.32% | 0.13% | 0.16% | 0.12% | 0.56% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[23] | x[24] | 1,421 | 1,616 | 2,742 | x | x | 2.71% | 3.09% | 5.62% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,239 | 3,405 | 3,111 | 3,775 | 4,175 | 4.19% | 5.50% | 5.92% | 7.21% | 8.56% |
| Total | 53,475 | 61,961 | 52,531 | 52,334 | 48,750 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 48,750 people, 17,696 households, and 12,375 families residing in the parish.
All public schools in Vernon Parish are operated by theVernon Parish School Board, which operates 18 public schools and one optional school.[25]Schools providing a secondary education include:
TheLouisiana Technical College (LTC) system operates the Lamar Salter campus south of New Llano. The Central Louisiana Technical College Lamar Salter campus is one of 40 LTC campuses across the state.[27]
Northwestern State University (NSU), is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana and is part of the University of Louisiana System. TheNSU-Leesville/Fort Polk Campus is located on Highway 467 nearFort Polk. It serves the civilian communities of Vernon, Beauregard, and Sabine parishes, as well as the military community at Fort Polk.http://leesville.nsula.edu/
The Fort Polk Education Center offers self-development opportunities for Service members, military family members, Department of the Defense employees, military Retirees, Department of Defense contractors, and civilians from the local community in the classroom, distance learning, and online environments. Civilian students coming to the post for classes are required to use the main entrance located offU.S. Highway 171.[28]
Central Michigan University (CMU) operates a campus at Fort Polk.[29]
Central Texas College (CTC) is a public, open-admission community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in academic, professional and vocational/technical fields. Due to its proximity to Fort Polk, CTC has evolved from a small junior college into a college catering to the military. CTC also help students transition from a 2-year to a 4-year degree through numerous articulation agreements with 4-year institutions nationwide.[30]
Louisiana State University offers a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts.[31]
TheUpper Iowa University (UIU) at Fort Polk offers classes on post to both military personnel and civilians in the area. It was opened in 1995 and offers bachelor's degrees in nine majors. Courses can also be blended with UIU distance learning programs (online and independent study) to complete 11 other majors. Certificate programs are also available. UIU offers courses on post during five eight-week terms during the academic year. All courses are offered during the evenings and on weekends.[32]
The Vernon Parish Library operates public libraries. It operates the main library and the Dunbar Branch Library inLeesville and the Pitkin Branch Library inPitkin.[33]
TheLouisiana Army National Guard maintains a maintenance facility which services its vehicles onFort Polk.3-156 IB part of 256th Tiger Brigade is located at Fort Polk.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1916 | 44 | 3.45% | 754 | 59.09% | 478 | 37.46% |
| 1920 | 205 | 15.21% | 1,143 | 84.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 142 | 9.18% | 1,372 | 88.69% | 33 | 2.13% |
| 1928 | 500 | 18.58% | 2,191 | 81.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 46 | 1.55% | 2,868 | 96.60% | 55 | 1.85% |
| 1936 | 928 | 24.65% | 2,831 | 75.21% | 5 | 0.13% |
| 1940 | 311 | 8.29% | 3,439 | 91.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 1,022 | 24.95% | 3,075 | 75.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 296 | 6.46% | 1,939 | 42.32% | 2,347 | 51.22% |
| 1952 | 2,130 | 35.73% | 3,832 | 64.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,372 | 49.81% | 2,158 | 45.32% | 232 | 4.87% |
| 1960 | 1,991 | 32.32% | 3,145 | 51.06% | 1,024 | 16.62% |
| 1964 | 3,696 | 50.91% | 3,564 | 49.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,574 | 18.29% | 1,496 | 17.38% | 5,536 | 64.33% |
| 1972 | 6,225 | 77.62% | 1,345 | 16.77% | 450 | 5.61% |
| 1976 | 3,970 | 37.94% | 6,202 | 59.26% | 293 | 2.80% |
| 1980 | 5,869 | 43.68% | 7,198 | 53.57% | 369 | 2.75% |
| 1984 | 9,035 | 67.58% | 4,076 | 30.49% | 258 | 1.93% |
| 1988 | 7,453 | 58.40% | 4,998 | 39.17% | 310 | 2.43% |
| 1992 | 5,912 | 40.04% | 6,005 | 40.66% | 2,850 | 19.30% |
| 1996 | 5,449 | 39.02% | 6,195 | 44.36% | 2,322 | 16.63% |
| 2000 | 8,794 | 63.60% | 4,655 | 33.67% | 378 | 2.73% |
| 2004 | 11,032 | 72.44% | 4,035 | 26.50% | 162 | 1.06% |
| 2008 | 11,946 | 75.76% | 3,534 | 22.41% | 289 | 1.83% |
| 2012 | 12,150 | 77.83% | 3,173 | 20.33% | 287 | 1.84% |
| 2016 | 13,471 | 80.99% | 2,665 | 16.02% | 497 | 2.99% |
| 2020 | 14,107 | 81.69% | 2,898 | 16.78% | 263 | 1.52% |
| 2024 | 13,474 | 83.44% | 2,513 | 15.56% | 162 | 1.00% |
Places adjacent to Vernon Parish, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofVernon Parish, Louisiana,United States | ||
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