Homer, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Homer, Louisiana
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Homer City Hall (built 1928)
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Location of Homer in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana.
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Location of Louisiana in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Claiborne |
| Named for | Homer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.66 sq mi (12.07 km2) |
| • Land | 4.65 sq mi (12.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 282 ft (86 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,747 |
| • Density | 590.37/sq mi (227.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
71040
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| Area code(s) | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-35870 |
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Homer is a town in northern Louisiana, United States. It is the main town, or parish seat, of Claiborne Parish. The town was named after the famous Greek poet Homer. It was planned in 1850 by Frank Vaughn around a central Courthouse Square.
The current brick courthouse was built in the Greek Revival style. It is one of only four courthouses in Louisiana built before the American Civil War that are still in use. This building was finished in 1860 and cost $12,304.36. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Homer
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Homer was once home to Homer College. This was a private school for African American students. It was active from 1855 until the early 1880s. The college offered both bachelor's and master's degrees.
The Herbert S. Ford Memorial Museum is located across from the parish courthouse. It is in the building that used to be the Claiborne Hotel, built in 1890. The museum has a very old bale of cotton, believed to be from around 1930. It also features an exhibit called "Black Gold." This exhibit shows a replica of an oilfield roughneck, a worker who helped with drilling in the 1930s.
A recorded message at the museum explains how families moved to Claiborne Parish. They came to benefit from the oil and natural gas boom. Oil was found in Homer in 1921. Another discovery happened in Haynesville that same year. This oil boom brought many visitors to the Claiborne Hotel. The hotel was declared a state historic site in 1984.
Geography of Homer
Homer is located at coordinates 32°47′24″N 93°3′31″W / 32.79000°N 93.05861°W.
The town covers a total area of about 4.6 square miles (12.07 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.22%, is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 418 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,451 | 247.1% | |
| 1870 | 80 | −94.5% | |
| 1880 | 718 | 797.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,132 | 57.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,157 | 2.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,855 | 60.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,305 | 78.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,909 | −12.0% | |
| 1940 | 3,497 | 20.2% | |
| 1950 | 4,749 | 35.8% | |
| 1960 | 4,665 | −1.8% | |
| 1970 | 4,483 | −3.9% | |
| 1980 | 4,307 | −3.9% | |
| 1990 | 4,152 | −3.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,788 | −8.8% | |
| 2010 | 3,237 | −14.5% | |
| 2020 | 2,747 | −15.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the population of Homer was 2,747 people.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 703 | 25.59% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,884 | 68.58% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.55% |
| Asian | 14 | 0.51% |
| Other/Mixed | 90 | 3.28% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 1.49% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,747 people living in the town. These people lived in 1,268 households, with 777 being families.
Education in Homer
The Claiborne Parish School Board manages all the schools in the parish. In Homer, they operate Homer Elementary School, Homer Junior High School, and Homer High School.
The Homer area also has Claiborne Academy. This is a private school for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It opened in 1970. Many important people and local leaders from Homer and nearby Haynesville have graduated from Claiborne Academy.
Climate and Weather
The weather in Homer is usually hot and humid in the summer. Winters are generally mild to cool. Homer has a humid subtropical climate. This type of climate is often shown as "Cfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Homer, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
105 (41) |
107 (42) |
109 (43) |
100 (38) |
88 (31) |
82 (28) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 73.8 (23.2) |
76.6 (24.8) |
82.4 (28.0) |
86.0 (30.0) |
89.9 (32.2) |
94.3 (34.6) |
97.8 (36.6) |
98.8 (37.1) |
95.9 (35.5) |
88.8 (31.6) |
80.3 (26.8) |
75.3 (24.1) |
99.3 (37.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.6 (13.1) |
59.7 (15.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
75.2 (24.0) |
81.9 (27.7) |
88.6 (31.4) |
91.7 (33.2) |
92.0 (33.3) |
86.9 (30.5) |
76.6 (24.8) |
65.3 (18.5) |
57.5 (14.2) |
74.9 (23.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.8 (6.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
54.6 (12.6) |
62.2 (16.8) |
70.4 (21.3) |
77.5 (25.3) |
80.8 (27.1) |
80.5 (26.9) |
74.7 (23.7) |
63.4 (17.4) |
52.8 (11.6) |
45.8 (7.7) |
62.8 (17.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.0 (0.0) |
35.3 (1.8) |
41.7 (5.4) |
49.2 (9.6) |
58.8 (14.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
69.9 (21.1) |
69.0 (20.6) |
62.4 (16.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
40.3 (4.6) |
34.1 (1.2) |
50.8 (10.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.9 (−7.8) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
34.4 (1.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
58.1 (14.5) |
64.1 (17.8) |
62.1 (16.7) |
49.7 (9.8) |
36.1 (2.3) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
15.9 (−8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) |
0 (−18) |
11 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
50 (10) |
36 (2) |
25 (−4) |
15 (−9) |
1 (−17) |
−1 (−18) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.15 (131) |
5.26 (134) |
5.68 (144) |
5.89 (150) |
4.74 (120) |
4.04 (103) |
4.02 (102) |
3.28 (83) |
3.73 (95) |
4.64 (118) |
4.64 (118) |
5.92 (150) |
56.99 (1,448) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.3 (0.76) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.77) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 9.7 | 99.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Notable People from Homer
Many interesting people have connections to Homer, Louisiana. Here are a few:
- James Andrews: A famous sports doctor and orthopedic surgeon.
- William Jasper Blackburn: He was the mayor of Minden and a U.S. Representative. He also served in the Louisiana State Senate.
- Cheryl Ford: A professional basketball player. She was the only woman to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award and a WNBA championship in the same year.
- Milton Joseph Cunningham: An attorney and state legislator. He was also the state attorney general for three terms.
- Bettye Davis: An Alaska state representative, social worker, and nurse.
- T. H. Harris: He was the state superintendent of education for many years. He studied at the former Homer College.
- Joe LeSage: A Shreveport attorney and former state senator. He also served on the Louisiana State University board.
- Paul Lowe: A member of the American Football League All-Time Team.
- Max T. Malone: A former state senator from Caddo and Bossier parishes.
- James T. McCalman: A state senator and businessman from Homer.
- Danny Roy Moore: A state senator who graduated from Homer High School.
- William M. Rainach: A former state legislator and founder of Claiborne Academy.
- Bobby Rush: A Grammy Award-winning blues musician, composer, and singer.
- Larry Sale: A former sheriff of Claiborne Parish. He was also a bodyguard for Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
- Gaynell Tinsley: An All-American football player for LSU and an All-Pro with the Chicago Cardinals.
- David Wade: A Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force. He was raised near Homer and considered it his hometown.
- Von Wafer: A professional basketball player.
- Loy F. Weaver: A retired banker and businessman. He was a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
See also
In Spanish: Homer (Luisiana) para niños
