Bienville Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
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| Parish of Bienville | ||
The new Bienville Parish Courthouse building in Arcadia is located to the north of Interstate 20.
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Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
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Louisiana's location within the U.S.
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Louisiana |
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| Region | North Louisiana | |
| Founded | March 14, 1848 | |
| Named for | Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville | |
| Parish seat | Arcadia | |
| Largest municipality | Bienville (area) Arcadia (population) |
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| Incorporated municipalities |
10 (total)
4 towns and 6 villages
(located entirely or partially within parish boundaries) |
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| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,130 km2 (822 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 2,100 km2 (811 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 30 km2 (11 sq mi) | |
| • percentage | 3 km2 (1.3 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,981 | |
| • Density | 6.097/km2 (15.792/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| Area code | 318 | |
| Congressional district | 4th | |
Bienville Parish is a special kind of county called a parish in the northwestern part of Louisiana. In 2020, about 12,981 people lived here. The main town and biggest community is Arcadia.
Bienville Parish is home to Mt. Driskill. This is the highest natural point in all of Louisiana! It's about 535 feet (163 meters) tall. You can visit it by walking on a trail, as it's on private land. It's named after James Christopher Driskill, who owned land there a long time ago. Close by is Jordan Mountain, which is 493 feet (150 meters) high.
Contents
Discovering Bienville Parish's Past
In the 1830s, the Drake family moved from South Carolina to this area. They called their new home Mount Lebanon. This was the first lasting settlement in the parish. The Drakes were very religious Baptists. They started a church and a school. This school later grew into Mount Lebanon University. It was a very early version of what is now Louisiana Christian University. That university is located in Pineville.
A famous event happened in Bienville Parish on May 23, 1934. Two well-known outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde, had their lives ended here.
Exploring Bienville Parish's Geography
Bienville Parish covers a total area of about 822 square miles (2,129 square kilometers). Most of this area, 811 square miles (2,100 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 11 square miles (28 square kilometers), which is about 1.3%, is water.
As mentioned, the highest natural point in Louisiana is Driskill Mountain. It stands 535 feet (163 meters) tall. This mountain is located about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Arcadia.
Major Roads in Bienville Parish
You can travel through Bienville Parish using these important roads:
Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 80
U.S. Highway 371
Louisiana Highway 4
Louisiana Highway 9
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Neighboring Parishes
Bienville Parish shares its borders with several other parishes:
- Claiborne Parish (to the north)
- Lincoln Parish (to the northeast)
- Jackson Parish (to the east)
- Winn Parish (to the southeast)
- Natchitoches Parish (to the south)
- Red River Parish (to the southwest)
- Bossier Parish (to the west)
- Webster Parish (to the northwest)
Communities in Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish has several towns and villages where people live.
Towns
- Arcadia (This is the main town and the largest one.)
- Gibsland
- Mount Lebanon
- Ringgold
Villages
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially towns or villages:
Understanding the Population of Bienville Parish
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 5,539 | — | |
| 1860 | 11,000 | 98.6% | |
| 1870 | 10,636 | −3.3% | |
| 1880 | 10,442 | −1.8% | |
| 1890 | 14,108 | 35.1% | |
| 1900 | 17,588 | 24.7% | |
| 1910 | 21,776 | 23.8% | |
| 1920 | 20,977 | −3.7% | |
| 1930 | 23,789 | 13.4% | |
| 1940 | 23,933 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 19,105 | −20.2% | |
| 1960 | 16,726 | −12.5% | |
| 1970 | 16,024 | −4.2% | |
| 1980 | 16,387 | 2.3% | |
| 1990 | 15,979 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 15,752 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 14,353 | −8.9% | |
| 2020 | 12,981 | −9.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 |
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The population of Bienville Parish has changed over the years. In 2020, there were 12,981 people living there. They lived in 5,812 homes, and 3,586 of these were families.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Bienville Parish in 2020:
| Group | Number | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 6,901 | 53.16% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 5,273 | 40.62% |
| Native American | 61 | 0.47% |
| Asian | 21 | 0.16% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed (two or more races) | 509 | 3.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 211 | 1.63% |
In 2000, about 31% of homes had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in the parish was 38 years old.
Learning in Bienville Parish
The Bienville Parish School Board is in charge of the public schools in the area. They make sure students have places to learn and grow.
Notable People from Bienville Parish
Many interesting people have connections to Bienville Parish:
- Henry Newton Brown Jr.: A judge and district attorney. He was born in Bienville Parish in 1941.
- Dee Brown: An author, famous for his book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. He was born in Alberta, a community in the parish.
- Bill DeMott: A professional wrestler who has a home in Bienville Parish.
- Caroline Dormon: A Louisiana botanist (someone who studies plants) and preservationist. She grew up in Bienville Parish.
- Jamie Fair: A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1984.
- Charlie Hennigan: An American Football League player from the 1960s.
- Henderson Jordan: He was the sheriff of Bienville Parish from 1932 to 1940. He was involved in the event where Bonnie and Clyde's lives ended.
- Billy McCormack: A Baptist pastor and leader in the Christian Coalition of America. He was born in Bienville Parish.
- Garnie W. McGinty: A Louisiana historian.
- Danny Roy Moore: He represented Bienville Parish in the Louisiana Senate.
- Prentiss Oakley: Another law enforcement official involved in the Bonnie and Clyde event. He was sheriff from 1940 to 1952.
- W. C. Robinson: A math professor and former president of Louisiana Tech. He was from the Mount Lebanon community.
- Lee Smith: A famous baseball pitcher.
- Sam Smith: A member of the Washington House of Representatives. He was born in Gibsland.
- Jesse N. Stone: A president of the Southern University System and a civil rights activist.
- Marshall H. Twitchell: A state senator during the Reconstruction period. He helped create Coushatta.
- Rush Wimberly: A lawyer and former member of the Louisiana legislature.
Images for kids
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Interstate 20 sign
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U.S. Highway 80 sign
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U.S. Highway 371 sign
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Louisiana Highway 4 sign
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Louisiana Highway 9 sign
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Bienville para niños
