Woodworth, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodworth, Louisiana
Town
Motto(s):  "License and registration, please."
Location of Woodworth in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Rapides
Area
• Total	8.89 sq mi (23.02 km2)
• Land	8.88 sq mi (23.01 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	89 ft (27 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,762
• Density	198.33/sq mi (76.58/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	71485
Area code(s)	318
FIPS code	22-83125
Website	http://www.townofwoodworth.com

Woodworth is a small town located in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. It is part of the larger Alexandria, Louisiana area. In 2010, about 1,096 people lived there.

Woodworth is growing quickly. Many new homes are being built. It is becoming a place where people live and then travel to nearby Alexandria for work or other activities. A state senator named Joe McPherson lives in Woodworth.

History of Woodworth

Woodworth officially became a town in 1942. This happened under a law called the Lawrason Act.

Early Days of the Town

The town started with a few people in the 1880s. One of the first important residents was George Hendricks. He came from Arkansas and tried to start a rice farm. However, his farm was not successful, and he later left.

The town continued to grow. A businessman named John McEnery came from New Orleans, Louisiana. He brought his railroad company, the New Orleans Pacific Railroad, with him. McEnery did not own the land for long. On November 25, 1890, he sold 18,000 acres of land.

How Woodworth Got Its Name

The land was sold to three people from Texas. Their names were C. E. Roberts, C. S. Woodworth, and Ed Rand. These three men started the Rapides Lumber Company in the village. They built a large sawmill. The town was named after C. S. Woodworth.

Soon after the sawmill was built, a company from Missouri bought out C. S. Woodworth and C. E. Roberts' shares. Ed Rand kept his share. Because of these changes, the company was renamed the Long-Bell Lumber Company of Woodworth.

Growth and Community Life

By the early 1900s, Woodworth had about 1,000 people. The town's businesses and services grew. Churches and shops were built. The first Catholic Church in Woodworth was built after Bishop Van de Ven blessed a chapel.

The land for the chapel was first owned by Richard and Edward Butler. It then passed to Henry Butler in 1908. In 1911, Bishop Van de Ven finally received the 2-acre land. The Butler family is still important in Woodworth politics today. David Butler is currently the mayor of the town.

Changes and Challenges

As the Catholic Church grew, more people moved to Woodworth. The sawmill's growth also attracted many Catholic families to the area. One of these families was the Moore family. Alvah Joseph Moore, a former slave, moved to Woodworth in the early 1900s. He was a skilled sawmill worker and musician. He played in the Woodworth Band. The Moore family wrote about their lives in Woodworth.

During this time, another group, the Ku Klux Klan, also became active in the town. There were conflicts between the Catholic residents and the Ku Klux Klan. The sawmill company eventually stepped in and stopped these conflicts.

After these issues ended, the sawmill started producing less. It eventually closed down in 1926. This left the land empty for a while. Later, the land was restored during the Civilian Conservation Corps program. The Catholic church was moved to Reddell, Louisiana. This caused many Catholic residents to leave Woodworth.

Woodworth During Wartime

After the sawmill closed and many residents left, the town's growth slowed. It did not grow much again until the war era. Catholic residents then attended St. Martin's Church in Lecompte, Louisiana.

A priest named Father Gerard J. Ducote wrote a letter to Bishop Charles P. Greco. He mentioned that Catholic services had stopped in Woodworth around 1927. He explained that many people were upset their church had been moved. Later, the Catholic Churches were promised more attendees. This happened, mostly because of the large number of people at Camp Claiborne.

Camp Claiborne was a military camp in Louisiana. It became very important during World War II. Over half a million soldiers passed through the camp. The camp was used for the Louisiana Maneuvers training. Many famous military leaders, like General Omar Bradley, General Ben Lear, and Walter Krueger, trained there. Later, the camp held German military POWs. After the war, the United States Forest Service took over the camp. The United States Army Corps of Engineers also manages parts of it, especially for finding old explosives.

Geography of Woodworth

Woodworth is located at 31°9′23″N 92°29′41″W / 31.15639°N 92.49472°W / 31.15639; -92.49472.

The town covers about 4.9 square miles (12.7 square kilometers) of land. Only a very small part, about 0.20%, is water.

Main Roads in Woodworth

Woodworth is connected by several important roads:

• U.S. Route 165
• LA 3265
• 
  Interstate 49

Woodworth's Climate

Woodworth has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm to hot summers that are often humid. The winters are mild. On climate maps, this type of climate is shown as "Cfa".

Population of Woodworth

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the United States census counted 1,762 people living in Woodworth. There were 628 households and 435 families in the town.

Education in Woodworth

Caroline Dormon Junior High School

In August 2012, Caroline Dormon Junior High School was finished. It was ready for students for the new school year. The school is built on a 33-acre site near U.S. Route 165. This project cost $6.5 million. It was the first "green" school in the CenLa area. It was also the first school inside Woodworth's town limits.

The school building is 50,000 square feet. It was built to hold about 150 students. However, in 2022, it had grown to 400 students. The school teaches students from kindergarten to 8th grade. In the 2022-2023 school year, the school district suggested a plan to expand the school. This was needed because of the large number of students. Caroline Dormon Junior High has been a top public school in Rapides Parish since 2012. Only Phoenix Magnet Elementary School, which is a special magnet school, performs better.

Court System in Woodworth

Woodworth is one of about 250 towns and villages in Louisiana that has a Mayor's Court. This type of court is allowed by state laws.

History of Mayor's Courts

Mayor's Courts were first allowed through town rules. A law from 1772 gave a mayor the power of a justice of the peace. This meant they could handle small legal cases. Louisiana and Ohio are the only states that still have this type of court system.

Images for kids

• 

  U.S. Route 165 sign

• 

  Louisiana Highway 3265 sign

• 

  Interstate sign

• 

  Interstate 49 sign

See also

In Spanish: Woodworth (Luisiana) para niños