Washington Parish, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Washington Parish, Louisiana
Parish
Parish of Washington
Bogalusa City Hall
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Region	Florida Parishes
Founded	1819
Named for	George Washington
Parish seat	Franklinton
Largest city	Bogalusa
Area
• Total	1,750 km2 (676 sq mi)
• Land	1,700 km2 (670 sq mi)
• Water	17 km2 (6.4 sq mi)
• percentage	2 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	45,463
• Rank	LA: 24th
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	985
Congressional district	5th
Website	Washington Parish, Louisiana

Washington Parish is a special kind of county called a parish in the southeastern part of Louisiana. In French, it's called Paroisse de Washington. As of 2020, about 45,463 people live here. The main town where the parish government is located is Franklinton. The biggest city in the parish is Bogalusa. Washington Parish was created in 1819.

Washington Parish is part of a larger area that includes Bogalusa. This area is also connected to the bigger New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond, LA-MS region.

History of Washington Parish

Washington Parish was formed in 1819. It was created by splitting off from St. Tammany Parish. The town of Franklinton became the main government center on February 10, 1821.

Washington Parish is the most northeastern of the areas known as the Florida Parishes. In 1763, after the Seven Years' War, Great Britain took control of this land from France. However, some land was also given to Spain. This area was often fought over. In 1810, English and American settlers tried to create their own independent state here. The United States later took control of the area and made a treaty with Spain. Even with these changes, French culture stayed strong in the region.

This area used to be covered in huge longleaf pine forests. In the early 1900s, two brothers named Frank and Charles W. Goodyear bought a lot of this forest land. They were successful businessmen from Buffalo, New York. They started the Great Southern Lumber Company. They built a very large sawmill in the middle of the forest. It was the biggest sawmill in the world at that time. They also built Bogalusa, Louisiana, as a town for their company's workers.

In the early 1900s, workers tried to form unions. Companies sometimes hired private groups to stop these efforts. The company built houses for workers. These houses were in separate areas for different groups of people. They also built homes for supervisors. Within a year, by 1907, they had built hotels, churches, a YMCA, a YWCA, and schools. To move the wood, the company built the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad. This connected Bogalusa to the port of New Orleans.

Before World War II, most of the original forests were cut down. The Great Southern Lumber Company closed its sawmill in 1938. Its paper mill and chemical businesses continued to operate. Over time, these industries slowed down. As jobs disappeared, the population in these towns decreased. Some people moved to bigger cities like New Orleans to find new jobs.

Geography and Nature

Washington Parish covers about 676 square miles. Most of this area, 670 square miles, is land. About 6.4 square miles, or 0.9%, is water.

Neighboring Areas

Washington Parish shares borders with other counties and parishes:

• Pike County, Mississippi (to the northwest)
• Walthall County, Mississippi (to the north)
• Marion County, Mississippi (to the northeast)
• Pearl River County, Mississippi (to the east)
• St. Tammany Parish (to the south)
• Tangipahoa Parish (to the west)

Main Roads

Here are the major highways that go through Washington Parish:

• Louisiana Highway 10
• Louisiana Highway 16
• Louisiana Highway 21
• Louisiana Highway 25

Protected Natural Areas

• Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in the parish)
• Bogue Chitto State Park

Communities in Washington Parish

Map of Washington Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

Washington Parish has several towns and villages.

Cities

• Bogalusa (This is the largest city in the parish.)

Towns

• Franklinton (This is the main town and the parish seat.)

Villages

• Angie
• Varnado

Other Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially incorporated as cities or towns:

Population and People

In 2020, there were 45,463 people living in Washington Parish. There were 17,613 households and 11,924 families. In 2000, the population was 43,926 people. The average number of people in a household was 2.56. The average family size was 3.09.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Washington Parish as of 2020:

In 2000, about 32.70% of households had children under 18. About 49.30% were married couples. About 17.10% had a female head of household with no husband. About 29.30% were not families.

The population was spread out by age. About 26.80% were under 18. About 9.50% were 18 to 24. About 26.70% were 25 to 44. About 22.60% were 45 to 64. And 14.30% were 65 or older. The average age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were about 95.40 males.

In 2000, the average income for a household was $24,264. The average income for a family was $29,480. The average income per person was $12,915. About 19.40% of families and 24.70% of the population had very low incomes. This included 32.20% of those under 18 and 20.40% of those 65 or older. Washington Parish has one of the highest rates of low income in Louisiana.

Economy and Jobs

Today, Washington Parish is known for its farming, especially for growing watermelons. For much of the 1900s, the economy was based on cutting down trees and making paper.

In 1906, the Great Southern Lumber Company bought large areas of forest. They built a sawmill in Bogalusa to cut the local pine trees. This company was the first to start planting new trees to make sure there would always be wood for the industry. Later, another company, Crown Zellerbach, took over. They also started a paper mill and chemical businesses in the area.

Over the years, the lumber and related businesses changed hands many times. In the 2000s, Temple-Inland Corporation became the largest employer in the parish.

Education and Learning

Most students in Washington Parish go to schools in the Washington Parish School System. However, students in Ward 4, which includes the City of Bogalusa and some nearby areas, attend Bogalusa City Schools.

Northshore Technical Community College is also located in Bogalusa. It offers technical training and college courses.

Corrections Facilities

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates the B.B. "Sixty" Rayburn Correctional Center. This facility is located near the village of Varnado, Louisiana.

National Guard Presence

Bogalusa is home to the main office of the 205th Engineer Battalion. This group is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade. Franklinton is where the 843rd Engineer Company is located.

Notable People from Washington Parish

• Oneal Moore (1931-1965), a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was the first African-American deputy sheriff in Washington Parish. He died in the line of duty on June 2, 1965. His case was never solved.
• Henry "Tank" Powell (born 1945), a state representative from Tangipahoa Parish from 1996 to 2008. He has been a member of the Louisiana Board of Pardons since 2008.
• Weldon Russell (born 1946), a former state representative for Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes. He was born in Washington Parish.
• Malinda Brumfield White (born 1967), a state representative for Washington and St. Tammany parishes since 2016.
• Katherine Haik (born 2000), from Franklinton. She was named Miss Teen USA 2015 when she was fifteen years old.
• Curtis "Curt" Matthew Thomas (1923-1994), a former Louisiana politician and supporter of civil rights. He was a former voter registrar for Washington Parish. He was a veteran of World War II and received a Purple Heart medal. He was also the longest-serving assessor in Washington Parish history.

See also

In Spanish: Parroquia de Washington para niños