Bogalusa, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bogalusa, Louisiana
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Great Southern Lumber Company in Bogalusa, 1930s
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Bogalusa boundary map
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 Bogalusa, Louisiana
Location in Louisiana
Bogalusa, Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Washington |
| Incorporated | July 4, 1914 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.55 sq mi (24.74 km2) |
| • Land | 9.51 sq mi (24.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 102 ft (31 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,659 |
| • Density | 1,121.41/sq mi (432.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
70427
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| Area code(s) | 985 |
| FIPS code | 22-08150 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403888 |
| Website | http://www.bogalusa.org |
Bogalusa (pronounced BOH-gə-LOO-sə) is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. In 2020, about 10,659 people lived there. Bogalusa is the main city in its local area, which includes all of Washington Parish. It's also part of the larger New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.
The city's name comes from the Choctaw language words bogue lusa. This means "dark water" or "smoky water" in English. Bogalusa is in an area with many pine forests. In the early 1900s, it was built as a special "company town." This meant it was created to provide homes and services for workers of a large Great Southern Lumber Company sawmill. Later, in the late 1930s, paper mills and chemical factories took over as the main industries.
Contents
Discovering Bogalusa's Past
Bogalusa started in 1908 when the Great Southern Lumber Company opened a huge sawmill. The Goodyear family from New York built the city to house the sawmill workers. William H. Sullivan was in charge of building the city from 1906 to 1907. He then became the mayor until he passed away in 1929.
The city was designed by an architect from New Orleans named Rathbone DeBuys. It was built very quickly, in less than a year! It had hotels, a YMCA and YWCA, churches, and homes for workers and managers. Because it grew so fast, people called it the "Magic City." Bogalusa officially became a city on July 4, 1914. At its busiest in 1960, more than 21,000 people lived there.
From Lumber to Paper: Bogalusa's Industries
The Great Southern Lumber Company's sawmill was enormous. It could produce enough lumber to cover about 2,400 cubic meters every day. The sawmill closed in 1938. After that, a paper mill and a chemical plant became the city's main industries. These were run by Gaylord Container Corporation.
In 1955, Crown Zellerbach Corporation bought Gaylord's businesses. They tried to keep the sawmill open by bringing in redwood from California, but it was too expensive. So, the mill closed for good. Crown Zellerbach was later taken over in 1985. A new company, Gaylord Container Corporation, then ran the paper and chemical operations for 16 years. In 2002, Temple-Inland bought Gaylord.
Important Events in Bogalusa
In the mid-1960s, Bogalusa was a place where important civil rights activities happened.
In 1995, a railroad tank car at Gaylord Chemical Corporation had an accident. It released a chemical called nitrogen tetroxide. About 3,000 people living nearby had to leave their homes. Residents said the sky turned orange. Around 4,000 people went to emergency rooms. They complained of burning eyes, skin, and lungs. Many lawsuits were filed against Gaylord Chemical. These were settled in 2005, and about 20,000 people received money for the accident.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Bogalusa. Winds of about 110 miles per hour (177 km/h) blew down many trees and power lines. Many buildings were damaged by falling trees, and some were destroyed. Most homes and businesses had roof damage from the strong winds. Some areas outside the city did not have electricity for over a month.
Bogalusa's Location and Size
Bogalusa is about 100 feet (30 meters) above sea level.
The city covers a total area of about 9.5 square miles (24.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 9.5 square miles (24.6 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.13 square kilometers), is water.
Who Lives in Bogalusa?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 8,245 | — | |
| 1930 | 14,029 | 70.2% | |
| 1940 | 14,604 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 17,798 | 21.9% | |
| 1960 | 21,423 | 20.4% | |
| 1970 | 18,412 | −14.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,976 | −7.8% | |
| 1990 | 14,280 | −15.9% | |
| 2000 | 13,365 | −6.4% | |
| 2010 | 12,232 | −8.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,659 | −12.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,410 | 41.37% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,398 | 50.64% |
| Native American | 23 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 68 | 0.64% |
| Other/Mixed | 356 | 3.34% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 404 | 3.79% |
In 2020, there were 10,659 people living in Bogalusa. These people lived in 4,874 households, and 2,923 of those were families.
Bogalusa's Economy and Jobs
Bogalusa's economy has always been connected to lumbering and wood products. The city was founded by the Great Southern Lumber Company in 1902. For many years, its sawmill was the biggest in the world. A paper mill was added in 1918.
By 1938, the Goodyear family's mill had cut down almost all the old longleaf yellow pine trees in the area. They tried to bring in redwood from California, but it wasn't profitable. So, the sawmill operations ended. Bogalusa's main industry then changed to paper milling. Goodyear's sawmill became part of Gaylord Container Corporation. Then, Crown Zellerbach bought Gaylord in 1955.
By the mid-1960s, the mill was making about 1,300 tons of paper every day. Georgia Pacific bought the mill in 1986. Its brown paper business owned the Bogalusa mill until 2002. That's when Gaylord was bought by Temple-Inland Corporation, which was the biggest employer in the area.
In 2011, industrial products spilled into the Pearl River. This led to over a million dollars in fines. The next year, in 2012, International Paper bought Temple-Inland. The Bogalusa mill is still open today. It makes corrugated fiberboard for boxes and shipping containers. As of 2019, the plant is still the city's largest employer, with 425 people working there.
Arts and Culture in Bogalusa
- The Robert "Bob" Hicks House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. This means it's a special place in history.
- The Robert Hicks Foundation was created to continue working for civil rights.
- Robert Indiana's painting "Louisiana" (1965) includes a quote about Bogalusa.
- Deacons for Defense is a TV movie from 2003. It tells the story of the civil rights efforts in Bogalusa in 1965. Bill Duke directed it, and it stars Forest Whitaker, Ossie Davis, and Jonathan Silverman.
Learning and Education
Bogalusa has its own public school system called Bogalusa City Schools. It has seven elementary schools, one junior high school, and one high school. In 2020, over 3,600 students were enrolled, and almost 230 teachers worked for the district.
Northshore Technical Community College is also in Bogalusa. It started in 1930 as the first trade school in Louisiana. Now, it is a fully approved community college.
Media and News
The local weekly newspaper in Bogalusa is the Bogalusa Daily News. The city also used to have a radio station, WBOX 920 AM & 92.9 FM.
How to Get Around: Infrastructure
Major Roads
Bogalusa is located where two Louisiana Highways meet: 
10 (running east-west) and 
21 (running north-south). Bogalusa connects to Bush, Louisiana by road.
Train Services
There are no passenger trains to Bogalusa. However, the Bogalusa Bayou Railroad (BBAY) serves the city's International Paper plant. It connects the plant northward to the Canadian National line in Mississippi.
Air Travel
The Bogalusa Airport is officially called the George R. Carr Memorial Air Field. The city owns it, and it is located north of the city.
Police Department
The Police Department in Bogalusa has 35 officers and 12 reserve officers.
Famous People from Bogalusa
Many notable people have connections to Bogalusa:
- Kenderick Allen – NFL defensive lineman
- Perry Brooks – Football defensive tackle, Super Bowl champion
- Jacob Brumfield – Professional baseball outfielder
- Al Clark – NFL player
- James Crutchfield – Blues piano player
- Melerson Guy Dunham – Educator and activist for civil and women's rights
- Jack Dunlap – NSA agent
- Rodney Foil – Forestry researcher and educator
- Bob Hicks – Civil rights activist
- Trumaine Johnson – Professional football player
- Yusef Komunyakaa – Winner of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
- Skip Manning – 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year
- Janet Marion Martin – Professor of classics at Princeton University
- John McGeever – NFL cornerback
- Beth Mizell – State senator for Washington Parish
- Professor Longhair – Influential funky pianist
- Vern Pullens – Rockabilly and country singer
- Snoozer Quinn – Pioneer of jazz guitar
- Jared Y. Sanders, Sr. – Former governor
- Jared Y. Sanders, Jr. – Former U.S. representative
- E.S.G. – Hip hop musician
- JayDaYoungan – Hip hop musician
- Ariel Pink – Indie musician
- Robert Benjamin Smith – Former NFL defensive end
- Charlie Spikes – MLB player, known as the "Bogalusa Bomber"
- Malinda Brumfield White – Member of Louisiana House of Representatives
- Dub Williams – New Mexico legislator
Images for kids
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Great Southern Lumber Company in Bogalusa, 1930s
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Bogalusa boundary map
See also
In Spanish: Bogalusa para niños
