Arcadia, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Arcadia is a town
in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish
in north Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 3,041 at the 2000 census.
Pilgrim's Pride
, a poultry
company, announced early in 2009 the closure of its feed mill in Arcadia as well as the ending of other operations in nearby Athens
in Claiborne Parish, Choudrant
in Lincoln Parish, and Farmerville
in Union Parish
. The impact cost North Louisiana a combined 1,300 jobs. Several weeks later, however, Pilgrim's Pride accepted an $80 million offer from Foster Farms
of California
to purchase the operations. In addition, to the 1,300 direct jobs, mostly in Farmerville, the purchase spares the small farms of some three hundred independent growers. Foster Farms put up $40 million and the State of Louisiana a matching $40 million. Foster Farms will further invest $10 million in capital improvements at the Farmerville plant, to be matched by the state, in an agreement announced by Governor Bobby Jindal
.
In 1934, the corpses of the young fugitives Bonnie and Clyde
were brought for embalming to the former Conger Funeral Home in Arcadia, the couple having been shot to death in a volley of bullets from six law-enforcement officers from both Bienville Parish and Dallas County
, Texas
. The bodies were then sent to Dallas for separate funerals and interments. The ambush occurred southwest of Arcadia on Louisiana State Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes. The focus of tourism regarding Bonnie and Clyde has been at Gibsland, where L.J. "Boots" Hinton, son of posse member Ted Hinton
, operates the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3 square miles (7.8 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 3,041 people, 1,071 households, and 737 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,025.6 people per square mile (395.3/km²). There were 1,231 housing units at an average density of 415.2 per square mile (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 37.98% White, 60.57% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.
There were 1,071 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples
living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town of Arcadia, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,661, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $25,885 versus $17,279 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $10,962. About 27.1% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
The weekly newspaper
, the Bienville Democrat, is edited by Priscilla Smith, and published on Thursdays.
.
Among the numerous churches in downtown Arcadia are First United Methodist Church and the First Baptist
Church, both in large sanctuaries. The Louisiana Baptist Convention
was founded in 1848 in nearby Mount Lebanon
.
is located two nautical miles (2.3 mi, 3.7 km) southwest of Arcadia's central business district
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of the 2000 census, the population is 15,752....
in north Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,041 at the 2000 census.
Pilgrim's Pride
Pilgrim's Pride
Pilgrim's Corp., previously Pilgrim's Pride , is a former U.S.-owned company with its U.S. headquarters relocated to Greeley, Colorado. As a subsidiary of the Brazilian food giant, JBS, it is the largest chicken producer in the United States and Puerto Rico and the second-largest chicken producer...
, a poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
company, announced early in 2009 the closure of its feed mill in Arcadia as well as the ending of other operations in nearby Athens
Athens, Louisiana
Athens is a village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census.The Pilgrim's Pride poultry hatchery in Athens was designated for closure early in 2009, along with other company businesses in nearby Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Choudrant in Lincoln...
in Claiborne Parish, Choudrant
Choudrant, Louisiana
Choudrant is a village in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 582 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.Former U.S...
in Lincoln Parish, and Farmerville
Farmerville, Louisiana
Farmerville is a town in and the parish seat of Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,808 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Union Parish
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Farmerville....
. The impact cost North Louisiana a combined 1,300 jobs. Several weeks later, however, Pilgrim's Pride accepted an $80 million offer from Foster Farms
Foster Farms
Foster Farms may refer to:* Foster Farms , based in Livingston, California* Foster Farms Dairy, based in Modesto, California...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to purchase the operations. In addition, to the 1,300 direct jobs, mostly in Farmerville, the purchase spares the small farms of some three hundred independent growers. Foster Farms put up $40 million and the State of Louisiana a matching $40 million. Foster Farms will further invest $10 million in capital improvements at the Farmerville plant, to be matched by the state, in an agreement announced by Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
.
In 1934, the corpses of the young fugitives Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
were brought for embalming to the former Conger Funeral Home in Arcadia, the couple having been shot to death in a volley of bullets from six law-enforcement officers from both Bienville Parish and Dallas County
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The bodies were then sent to Dallas for separate funerals and interments. The ambush occurred southwest of Arcadia on Louisiana State Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes. The focus of tourism regarding Bonnie and Clyde has been at Gibsland, where L.J. "Boots" Hinton, son of posse member Ted Hinton
Ted Hinton
Ted Hinton was a Dallas County, Texas, Deputy Sheriff, the youngest of the posse that ambushed and killed Bonnie and Clyde near Gibsland, Louisiana, on May 23, 1934.-History:...
, operates the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum.
Geography
Arcadia is located at 32°33′7"N 92°55′27"W (32.551931, -92.924233) and has an elevation of 384 feet (117 m).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3 square miles (7.8 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,041 people, 1,071 households, and 737 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,025.6 people per square mile (395.3/km²). There were 1,231 housing units at an average density of 415.2 per square mile (160.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 37.98% White, 60.57% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.26% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.
There were 1,071 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town of Arcadia, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,661, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $25,885 versus $17,279 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $10,962. About 27.1% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Bienville Parish Courthouse is located in a residential section of Arcadia.The weekly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, the Bienville Democrat, is edited by Priscilla Smith, and published on Thursdays.
Education
Arcadia's two public schools are located in the Arcadia School Complex, which encompasses both Arcadia High School and Crawford ElementaryCrawford elementary
Crawford Elementary School is a public school located in Arcadia, Louisiana. It serves grades PK-6, and is part of the Bienville Parish school district.- Mission statement :...
.
Among the numerous churches in downtown Arcadia are First United Methodist Church and the First Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, both in large sanctuaries. The Louisiana Baptist Convention
Louisiana Baptist Convention
The Louisiana Baptist Convention is an association of Baptist churches in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Convention is composed of approximately 1,595 member congregations representing 869,490 members ....
was founded in 1848 in nearby Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon, Louisiana
Mount Lebanon is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-History:Mount Lebanon was probably the first permanent settlement in what is now Bienville Parish. Its pioneers were Baptists from South Carolina who quickly established a church and...
.
Transportation
The Arcadia-Bienville Parish AirportArcadia-Bienville Parish Airport
Arcadia-Bienville Parish Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Arcadia, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of Arcadia....
is located two nautical miles (2.3 mi, 3.7 km) southwest of Arcadia's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
Notable people
- H. Welborn AyresH. Welborn AyresHarrison Welborn Ayres was a 20th century judge of the Louisiana Second Judicial District Court, based in Jonesboro, and the state Second Circuit Court of Appeal, anchored in Shreveport....
, practiced law in Arcadia prior to becoming a Fourth Judicial District judge in 1942. - Marcus FizerMarcus FizerDarnell Marcus Lamar Fizer is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.- High school career :Fizer played high school basketball at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, Louisiana...
, Professional basketball player, former collegiate All-American at Iowa State UniversityIowa State UniversityIowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
(1999–2000) and McDonald's All-American from Arcadia High School (1996–1997). - Berry HintonBerry HintonFrank Berry Hinton, known as Berry Hinton , was from 1943 to 1967 a champion baseball coach at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.-Background:...
, Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
baseball coach from 1943 to 1967; died in Arcadia in 2000. - Dub Jones - Retired Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er born in 1924. - Henderson JordanHenderson Jordan (Louisiana sheriff)Henderson Jordan , as sheriff of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, was one of six law enforcement officers who on May 23, 1934, ambushed the fugitives Bonnie and Clyde in a deadly encounter on Louisiana Highway 154 between Gibsland and Sailes to the south.-Background:According to his grave...
(1896–1958), Bienville Parish sheriff who participated in the ambush of Bonnie and ClydeBonnie and ClydeBonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934... - Danny Roy MooreDanny Roy MooreDanny Roy Moore is a civil engineer and land surveyor in Arcadia, Louisiana, who served as a conservative Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1964 until 1968...
(born 1925), former state senator from Bienville and Claiborne parishes - Prentiss Oakley (1905–1957), Jordan's successor as sheriff; also part of the posse that brought down Bonnie and Clyde
- Bob ReeseBob ReeseBobby Lynn Reese, known as Bob Reese , was a home builder, architectural designer, portrait painter, and businessman in Natchitoches, Louisiana, who was a co-chairman of the Natchitoches Parish Republican Party from 1968–2004, during an era in which Democrats dominated his region of the state,...
, RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
political activist born in Arcadia - Bettye SwannBettye SwannBettye Swann is an American soul music singer, best known for her 1967 hit song "Make Me Yours".-Career:...
- soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer best known for the 1967 hit, "Make Me Yours." - Lorris M. WimberlyLorris M. WimberlyLorris May Wimberly, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928–1940 and again from 1948-1956. A native and resident of Arcadia, the seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Wimberly was House Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and from May 14-July 10, 1956...
, former three-time SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators... - Rush Wimberly, former member of both houses of the Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
- Frederick Tuiel, Graduate of Arcadia High School (1998), Enlisted in the United States Navy (1999) currently a Chief Petty Officer. Attended University of Phoenix, Central Texas College, Old Dominion University.