Washington Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Washington Parish, Louisiana
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| Parish of Washington | |
Bogalusa City Hall
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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 |
| 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
(2010)
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| • Total | 47,168 |
| • Estimate
(2018)
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46,582 |
| • Rank | LA: 24th |
| • Density | 26.940/km2 (69.78/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 985 |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | Washington Parish, Louisiana |
Washington Parish (French: Paroisse de Washington) is a parish located in the interior southeast corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana, one of the Florida Parishes. As of the 2010 census, the population was 47,168. Its parish seat is Franklinton. Its largest city is Bogalusa. The parish was founded in 1819.
Washington Parish comprises the Bogalusa, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond, LA-MS Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Washington Parish was formed in 1819 by splitting off from St. Tammany Parish. Franklinton became the parish seat on February 10, 1821.
Washington Parish is the most northeasterly of what are called the Florida Parishes, for it was a legal part of Spanish West Florida prior to 1810.
There are at least two articles about the history of Washington Parish:
There is also a book which is online: Bogalusa Story, by C. W. Goodyear
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 676 square miles (1,750 km2), of which 670 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 6.4 square miles (17 km2) (0.9%) is water.
Adjacent counties and parishes
- Pike County, Mississippi (northwest)
- Walthall County, Mississippi (north)
- Marion County, Mississippi (northeast)
- Pearl River County, Mississippi (east)
- St. Tammany Parish (south)
- Tangipahoa Parish (west)
Major highways
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 16
Louisiana Highway 21
Louisiana Highway 25
National protected area
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 2,517 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,286 | −9.2% | |
| 1840 | 2,649 | 15.9% | |
| 1850 | 3,408 | 28.7% | |
| 1860 | 4,708 | 38.1% | |
| 1870 | 3,330 | −29.3% | |
| 1880 | 5,190 | 55.9% | |
| 1890 | 6,700 | 29.1% | |
| 1900 | 9,628 | 43.7% | |
| 1910 | 18,886 | 96.2% | |
| 1920 | 24,164 | 27.9% | |
| 1930 | 29,904 | 23.8% | |
| 1940 | 34,443 | 15.2% | |
| 1950 | 38,371 | 11.4% | |
| 1960 | 44,015 | 14.7% | |
| 1970 | 41,987 | −4.6% | |
| 1980 | 44,207 | 5.3% | |
| 1990 | 43,185 | −2.3% | |
| 2000 | 43,926 | 1.7% | |
| 2010 | 47,168 | 7.4% | |
| 2018 (est.) | 46,582 | −1.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 29,588 | 65.08% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 12,758 | 28.06% |
| Native American | 134 | 0.29% |
| Asian | 161 | 0.35% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,412 | 3.11% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,410 | 3.1% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 45,463 people, 17,613 households, and 11,924 families residing in the parish.
National Guard
Bogalusa is home to the headquarters of the 205th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade. Franklinton is the home of the 843rd Engineer Company.
Communities
- Angie
- Bogalusa
- Enon
- Franklinton (parish seat)
- Mount Hermon
- Thomas
- Varnado
- Warnerton
Economy
Washington Parish is currently known for its agriculture, particularly watermelons. Through much of the 20th century, its economy was based on its timber and paper industry.
In 1906, The Great Southern Lumber Company, founded by the Goodyear brothers from New York, purchased huge tracts of forest and established a sawmill in Bogalusa to harvest the local virgin pine forests. This company was the first to introduce reforestation in order to sustain the timber industry locally. Taken over by Crown Zellerbach, it later started a paper mill and chemical businesses in the area.
The local business passed through several hands as the lumber and related industries restructured through the late 20th century. In the 21st century, Temple-Inland Corporation is the largest employer in the parish.
Education
Students residing outside of Ward 4 attend Washington Parish School System. Students within Ward 4 attend Bogalusa City Schools.
Northshore Technical Community College is located in Bogalusa.
Notable people
- Henry "Tank" Powell (born 1945), state representative from Tangipahoa Parish from 1996 to 2008; member of the Louisiana Board of Pardons since 2008
- Weldon Russell (born 1946), former state representative for Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes; born in Washington Parish
- Malinda Brumfield White (born 1967), state representative for Washington and St. Tammany parishes, effective 2016
- Katherine Haik (born 2000), from Franklinton, named Miss Teen USA 2015 at the age of fifteen
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Washington para niños
