Shongaloo, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shongaloo, Louisiana
City
Shongaloo Civic Center
Location of Shongaloo in Webster Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Webster
Area
• Total	7.93 sq mi (20.53 km2)
• Land	7.90 sq mi (20.45 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	256 ft (78 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	151
• Density	19.12/sq mi (7.38/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	318
FIPS code	22-69455

Shongaloo is a small village located in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. It's a quiet place with a rich history.

Just west of Shongaloo, you'll find Munn Hill. This area was first settled by Daniel and Rebecca Munn on July 26, 1900. The village has a civic center. This building is used for town meetings and other community events. Next to the civic center is a museum. It features a restored log cabin, showing what life was like long ago.

Exploring Shongaloo's Location

Shongaloo is located at coordinates 32°56′17″N 93°17′54″W. The village covers a total area of about 7.9 square miles (20.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.08 square kilometers), is water.

One important natural feature is Dorcheat Bayou. This bayou is 115 miles (185 kilometers) long. It flows right through Shongaloo. This makes it one of the longest natural bayous in the United States.

Mt. Paran Baptist Church is lined with flags in observance of Memorial Day 2009.

Getting Around Shongaloo

You can reach Shongaloo by road. There are no direct airports or boat access points in the village. For air travel, the Springhill Airport is about 15-20 minutes away. The Shreveport Regional Airport is a bit further, taking about 60-80 minutes to reach.

Several state highways connect Shongaloo to other towns:

• LA 2 links Shongaloo to Sarepta and Homer.
• LA 159 connects Shongaloo to Magnolia and Minden.
• LA 157 provides a route to Springhill.
• ALT LA 2 and LA 615 lead to Haynesville.

Future Road Plans: Interstate 69

There are plans to build Interstate 69 near Shongaloo. This new highway would pass south of the village near Leton. It would also go east of the village near Haynesville. If built, Shongaloo would have easy access to this major freeway. There would be exits at LA 159, LA 2, and LA 2 Alt..

What's in a Name? Shongaloo's Meaning

The name Shongaloo is pronounced "Shawn-ga-lew." It comes from an Indian term. This term can mean "Running Water" or "Cypress Tree." Both meanings fit the area well, given the nearby bayou and natural environment.

People of Shongaloo

In 2000, Shongaloo had 162 people living there. There were 65 households and 47 families. The population density was about 20.5 people per square mile (7.9 per square kilometer). Most residents were White (98.15%). A small number were Native American (0.62%) or from two or more races (1.23%). About 0.62% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (27.7%) had children under 18. Most households (66.2%) were married couples. The average household had 2.49 people. The average family had 2.83 people.

The median age in the village was 45 years old. This means half the people were younger than 45 and half were older. About 21.6% of the population was under 18. Another 21.6% were 65 or older.

The median income for a household was $41,250. For families, it was $48,750. About 10.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 9.5% of those under 18.

Local TV Channels

Shongaloo is part of the Shreveport/Texarkana TV market. This means residents can watch channels broadcast from these cities. Here are some of the local channels available:

Education in Shongaloo

North Webster Lower Elementary School on Louisiana Highway 2 is located in the plant of the defunct Shongaloo High School.

The Shongaloo Museum is a log cabin structure behind the Civic Center.

North Webster Lower Elementary School serves students from Shongaloo, Sarepta, and Cotton Valley. This school teaches children from Pre-Kindergarten to 2nd grade. Before 2011, this building was Shongaloo High School.

The school changed when different schools in Webster Parish combined. Students from 3rd to 12th grade in Shongaloo now attend other schools in the parish. In 1979, the Shongaloo Tiger baseball team won the Louisiana LHSAA Class C State Championship. This was a big achievement for the school's sports program.

Notable People from Shongaloo

Many interesting people have connections to Shongaloo:

• Parey Pershing Branton, Sr. was a local leader. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was also on the Webster Parish School Board and was mayor of Shongaloo.
• Henry Burns was born in Shongaloo in 1947. He became a state representative for District 9 in Bossier Parish.
• E.D. Gleason (1899–1959) was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served from 1952 until he passed away.
• Mary Smith Gleason (1899–1967) lived in the nearby Evergreen Community. She took over her husband's seat in the Louisiana House after he died. She served from 1959 to 1960.
• Talmadge L. Heflin was born in Shongaloo. He became a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives.
• W. W. Hicks (1843-1925) was from South Carolina but lived in Shongaloo. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1900 to 1904. He was also on the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1904 to 1908.
• Carlus D. Morgan (1917–2007) was an educator. He was also a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1988 to 1992. He lived in the Evergreen community.

See also

In Spanish: Shongaloo para niños