Morehouse Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morehouse Parish
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Parish
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The Morehouse Parish Courthouse (built 1914) is located in the center of downtown Bastrop.
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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 |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Founded | 1844 |
| Named for | Abraham Morehouse |
| Seat | Bastrop |
| Largest city | Bastrop |
| Area | |
| • Total | 805 sq mi (2,080 km2) |
| • Land | 794 sq mi (2,060 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 1.4% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 25,629 |
| • Density | 31.837/sq mi (12.292/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
Morehouse Parish (French: Paroisse de Morehouse) is a special kind of county in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in the northeastern part of the state. In 2020, about 25,629 people lived here. The main town and "parish seat" (like a county seat) is Bastrop. Morehouse Parish was created in 1844.
The Bastrop area, which includes Morehouse Parish, is part of a larger group of towns. This group is connected to the bigger cities of Monroe and Ruston.
Contents
History
Morehouse Parish is named after Colonel Abraham Morehouse. He was a brave soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
One of the first homes in the area was built in 1775. Francois Bonaventure built this house on a large piece of land near what is now Bastrop.
Geography
Morehouse Parish covers a total area of about 806 square miles. Most of this area, about 795 square miles, is land. The remaining 11 square miles (about 1.4%) is water.
Main Roads
U.S. Highway 165
U.S. Highway 425
Louisiana Highway 2
Louisiana Highway 133
Louisiana Highway 134
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Neighboring Areas
Morehouse Parish shares borders with several other parishes and counties:
- Union County, Arkansas (to the northwest)
- Ashley County, Arkansas (to the north)
- Chicot County, Arkansas (to the northeast)
- West Carroll Parish (to the east)
- Richland Parish (to the southeast)
- Ouachita Parish (to the southwest)
- Union Parish (to the west)
Protected Natural Areas
The parish is home to parts of important natural areas:
- Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge
- Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in Morehouse Parish)
Communities
Morehouse Parish has one main city and several smaller villages and communities.
City
- Bastrop is the largest city and the parish seat.
Villages
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller areas that are not officially cities or villages:
- Beekman
- Bordenax
- Counters Neck
- Galion
- Geddie
- Gum Ridge
- Haynes Landing
- Humphreys
- Jones
- Laark
- Log Cabin
- Marcarco
- McGinty
- Naff
- New Land Grove Landing
- Oak Landing
- Perryville
- Point Pleasant
- Robinson
- Spyker
- Stampley
- Stevenson
- Upland
- Usarco
- Vaughn
- Wardville
- Windsor
Population Information
The number of people living in Morehouse Parish has changed over the years. In 1850, there were about 3,913 people. The population grew to over 33,000 in the 1960s. By 2020, the population was 25,629.
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,913 | — | |
| 1860 | 10,357 | 164.7% | |
| 1870 | 9,387 | −9.4% | |
| 1880 | 14,206 | 51.3% | |
| 1890 | 16,786 | 18.2% | |
| 1900 | 16,634 | −0.9% | |
| 1910 | 18,786 | 12.9% | |
| 1920 | 19,311 | 2.8% | |
| 1930 | 23,689 | 22.7% | |
| 1940 | 27,571 | 16.4% | |
| 1950 | 32,038 | 16.2% | |
| 1960 | 33,709 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 32,463 | −3.7% | |
| 1980 | 34,803 | 7.2% | |
| 1990 | 31,938 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 31,021 | −2.9% | |
| 2010 | 27,979 | −9.8% | |
| 2020 | 25,629 | −8.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 |
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In 2020, the population of Morehouse Parish was made up of different groups. About 47.68% of people were White (not Hispanic). About 46.73% were Black or African American (not Hispanic). Smaller percentages were Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or people of two or more races. About 1.49% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In 2000, the average household had about 2.64 people. The average family had about 3.14 people. About 33% of households had children under 18 living there.
The median age in the parish in 2000 was 36 years old. This means half the people were younger than 36 and half were older. About 27.5% of the population was under 18.
Law Enforcement
| Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office | |
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| Abbreviation | MPSO |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Bastrop, Louisiana |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| http://www.mpso.net/ | |
The Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office (MPSO) is in charge of keeping the peace in the parish. The main leader of this office is the Sheriff. As of 2022, the sheriff of Morehouse Parish is Mike Tubbs.
The Sheriff's Office has several important buildings:
- Their main office is at 351 South Franklin Street in Bastrop.
- The Morehouse Parish Jail is located at 250 East Walnut Street in Bastrop. This jail can hold about 70 people. It has about 20 full-time and part-time officers.
- The Morehouse Parish Detention Center is at 6444 Patey Road in Collinston. This center can hold about 272 people. It has about 33 officers.
Sadly, one deputy from the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office has died while on duty.
Education
The Morehouse Parish School Board is responsible for running the public schools in the area.
National Guard
A special military unit, the 1023rd Engineer Company (Vertical), is located in Bastrop. They are part of the 528th Engineer Battalion and the 225th Engineer Brigade.
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Morehouse para niños
