Bogalusa, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Bogalusa is a city
in Washington Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 13,365 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington Parish and is also part of the larger New Orleans
–Metairie
–Bogalusa Combined Statistical Area
.
in 1906. The sawmill was, for many years, the largest in the world. Bogalusa is famous for its reforestation
program.
In 1938, the Goodyears had ended their lumber operations at the Great Southern Lumber Company
and sold the paper mill operations. The mill was owned by Crown Zellerbach until 1986 and its brown paper successor Gaylord Container Corporation
until 2002, when Gaylord was acquired by Temple-Inland
Corporation, the area's largest employer.
Today, Bogalusa's economy revolves around the lumber
and paper
mills, as well as agriculture.
, which operated for 16 years until acquired by Temple-Inland
in 2002.
Bogalusa was the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize
-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa
and of New Orleans piano legend Professor Longhair
.
In the mid-1960s, Bogalusa was a center of activity for the Deacons for Defense and Justice
.
In 1995 a railroad tank car
imploded at Gaylord Chemical Corporation releasing nitrogen tetroxide and forced the evacuation of about 3,000 people within a one mile (1.6 km) radius. Residents say "the sky turned orange" as a result. Emergency rooms filled with about 4,000 people who complained of burning eyes, skin, and lungs. Dozens of lawsuit
s were filed against Gaylord Chemical and were finally settled in May 2005, with compensation checks issued to around 20,000 people involved in the accident.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
hit this city with winds of about 125 mi/h downing numerous trees and power lines. Many buildings in Bogalusa received damage from falling trees, and several were destroyed. Most of the houses, businesses, and other buildings suffered roof damage from the storm's ferocious winds.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), of which, 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.
of 2000, there were 13,365 people, 5,431 households, and 3,497 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,407.6 people per square mile (543.8/km²). There were 6,300 housing units at an average density of 663.5 per square mile (256.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.18% White, 41.21% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.
There were 5,431 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples
living together, 23.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,261, and the median income for a family was $24,947. Males had a median income of $26,716 versus $17,992 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,476. About 26.1% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.1% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.
Louisiana Technical College-Sullivan Campus is located in Bogalusa. It is one of forty-two campuses of the Louisiana Technical College
.
Battalion
of the Louisiana
Army National Guard
. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana
at Camp Beauregard
.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Washington Parish
Washington Parish, Louisiana
Washington Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Franklinton. In 2000, its population was 43,926....
, 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 13,365 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington Parish and is also part of the larger New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
–Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
–Bogalusa Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
.
Economy
Bogalusa was founded by the Goodyears of Buffalo, New York, who started the Great Southern Lumber CompanyGreat Southern Lumber Company
In 1906, the Great Southern Lumber Company was founded in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana by Frank Henry Goodyear and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear, and others investors mostly from Buffalo, New York area....
in 1906. The sawmill was, for many years, the largest in the world. Bogalusa is famous for its reforestation
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
program.
In 1938, the Goodyears had ended their lumber operations at the Great Southern Lumber Company
Great Southern Lumber Company
In 1906, the Great Southern Lumber Company was founded in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana by Frank Henry Goodyear and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear, and others investors mostly from Buffalo, New York area....
and sold the paper mill operations. The mill was owned by Crown Zellerbach until 1986 and its brown paper successor Gaylord Container Corporation
Gaylord Container Corporation
Gaylord Container Corporation was an integrated manufacturer of packaging materials, primarily corrugated containers. Operating from 1986–2002, most of the company's facilities were originally part of Crown Zellerbach's container division....
until 2002, when Gaylord was acquired by Temple-Inland
Temple-Inland
Temple-Inland, Inc. is an American corrugated packaging and building products company based in Austin, Texas.-History:-Early Years:In 1893, when Thomas Louis Latane Temple, Sr., founded Southern Pine Lumber Company on of East Texas, Angelina County, timberland...
Corporation, the area's largest employer.
Today, Bogalusa's economy revolves around the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
mills, as well as agriculture.
History
The Great Southern Lumber Company (1906–38) mill was opened here in 1906, and the Goodyear (Frank Henry Goodyear and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear) interests of New York built a city around it that same year, to house workers for their sawmill. William H. Sullivan, the sawmill manager for the Goodyears, was town boss when the city was built (1906–1907) and then mayor until he died June 26, 1929. The city, built from nothing in less than a year, with several hotels, a YMCA and YWCA, churches of all faiths, and houses for the workers and supervisors, was called the Magic City due to its rapid construction. Bogalusa was incorporated as a city on July 4, 1914. At its peak, the city had over 20,000 residents, and the Great Southern Lumber Company's sprawling sawmill produced up to 1,000,000 board feet (2400 m³) of lumber a day. The sawmill closed in 1938, but was replaced as the city's main industry by a paper mill and a chemical plant run by Gaylord Container Corp. Crown Zellerbach Corp. acquired Gaylord's operations in 1955. An attempt to keep the sawmill open with California redwood proved too costly and the mill was closed. Crown Zellerbach was the target of a hostile takeover in 1985 and the succeeding company for its container division was a new Gaylord Container CorporationGaylord Container Corporation
Gaylord Container Corporation was an integrated manufacturer of packaging materials, primarily corrugated containers. Operating from 1986–2002, most of the company's facilities were originally part of Crown Zellerbach's container division....
, which operated for 16 years until acquired by Temple-Inland
Temple-Inland
Temple-Inland, Inc. is an American corrugated packaging and building products company based in Austin, Texas.-History:-Early Years:In 1893, when Thomas Louis Latane Temple, Sr., founded Southern Pine Lumber Company on of East Texas, Angelina County, timberland...
in 2002.
Bogalusa was the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa is an American poet who currently teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for Neon Vernacular and the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He also received the Ruth Lilly...
and of New Orleans piano legend Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
.
In the mid-1960s, Bogalusa was a center of activity for the Deacons for Defense and Justice
Deacons for Defense and Justice
The Deacons for Defense and Justice is an armed self defense African American civil rights organization in the U.S. Southern states during the 1960s. Historically, the organization practiced self-defense methods in the face of racist oppression that was carried out by Jim Crow Laws; local and state...
.
In 1995 a railroad tank car
Tank car
A tank car is a type of railroad rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.-Timeline:...
imploded at Gaylord Chemical Corporation releasing nitrogen tetroxide and forced the evacuation of about 3,000 people within a one mile (1.6 km) radius. Residents say "the sky turned orange" as a result. Emergency rooms filled with about 4,000 people who complained of burning eyes, skin, and lungs. Dozens of lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s were filed against Gaylord Chemical and were finally settled in May 2005, with compensation checks issued to around 20,000 people involved in the accident.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
hit this city with winds of about 125 mi/h downing numerous trees and power lines. Many buildings in Bogalusa received damage from falling trees, and several were destroyed. Most of the houses, businesses, and other buildings suffered roof damage from the storm's ferocious winds.
National Guard
Bogalusa is home to the headquarters of the 205th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade.Geography
Bogalusa has an elevation of 95 feet (29 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 city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), of which, 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.
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 13,365 people, 5,431 households, and 3,497 families residing in the city. 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 1,407.6 people per square mile (543.8/km²). There were 6,300 housing units at an average density of 663.5 per square mile (256.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.18% White, 41.21% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.16% 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 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.
There were 5,431 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% 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, 23.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,261, and the median income for a family was $24,947. Males had a median income of $26,716 versus $17,992 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 city was $11,476. About 26.1% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.1% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Bogalusa operates its own public school system, Bogalusa City Schools.Louisiana Technical College-Sullivan Campus is located in Bogalusa. It is one of forty-two campuses of the Louisiana Technical College
Louisiana Technical College
Louisiana Technical College is an institute for professional technical education in the state of Louisiana, with campuses across the state. Louisiana Technical College has no affiliation to Louisiana Tech University.-History:...
.
National Guard
Bogalusa is home to the 205th EngineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the 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...
Army National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
at Camp Beauregard
Camp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
.
Notable people
- Yusef KomunyakaaYusef KomunyakaaYusef Komunyakaa is an American poet who currently teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for Neon Vernacular and the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He also received the Ruth Lilly...
, winner of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for PoetryPulitzer Prize for PoetryThe Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
, was born James Willie Brown Jr. in Bogalusa, Louisiana (April 29, 1947). - Ernest AngeloErnest AngeloErnest Angelo, Jr., known as Ernie Angelo , is a Texas oilman and Republican politician who served from 1972–1980 as mayor of the West Texas city of Midland and was in 1976 the co-manager of the Ronald W...
, Texas oilman and 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...
politician, was reared partly in Bogalusa. - Jacob BrumfieldJacob BrumfieldJacob Donnell Brumfield , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1992-1999.-External links:...
full name Jacob Donnell Brumfield (born May 27, 1965 in Bogalusa), is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1992-1999. - Tom ColtenTom ColtenArthur Thomas Colten, known as Tom Colten , was a Louisiana politician from the 1960s to the 1990s who rose from a small-town mayoralty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties...
, later the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, was the business manager of the Bogalusa Daily News from 1948 until his relocation in 1955 to MindenMinden, LouisianaMinden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
in Webster Parish, where he served two terms as mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. - Ben NeversBen NeversBen Wayne Nevers is an electrical contractor from Bogalusa, Louisiana, who has been since 2004 a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 12, which includes parts of Washington, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes...
, state senator from Washington, St. Helena, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes since 2004 - Tom ThornhillTom ThornhillThomas Wood Thornhill, known as Tom Thornhill is an attorney from Slidell in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, who served as the District 76 Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for a single term from 1996–2000....
, a SlidellSlidell, LouisianaSlidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
attorney and member 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...
from 1996–2000, was raised in Bogalusa and graduated from Bogalusa High SchoolBogalusa High SchoolBogalusa High School is the high school of the Bogalusa City Schools district. It is located in Bogalusa, Louisiana, United States.-Schedule Information:...
. - Henry "Tank" PowellHenry "Tank" PowellHenry Watson Powell, known as Henry "Tank" Powell , is an insurance agent in Ponchatoula in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, who served as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 73 from 1996 until term-limited in 2008...
represented Tangipahoa Parish in the state legislature from 1996-2008. He is now a member of the Louisiana Board of Pardons. - Jerry ThomasJerry Thomas (Louisiana politician)Jerry Aroe Thomas is a family practice physician in Franklinton, Louisiana, who served in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from 1988 to 2004. In 1979, at the age of twenty-six, Thomas was elected coroner of Washington Parish, the easternmost of the Florida Parishes in the...
, a physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in FranklintonFranklinton, LouisianaFranklinton is a town in and the parish seat of Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,657 at the 2000 census. It is an average of above sea level....
, represented Washington Parish in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from 1992-2004. - Professor LonghairProfessor LonghairProfessor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, funky pianist inspiring artists such as Dr. John, from 1918-1980. Several of his songs are Mardi Gras anthems. - James CrutchfieldJames CrutchfieldJames Crutchfield was an American St. Louis, Missouri based, barrelhouse blues singer, pianist, and songwriter, whose career spanned seven decades...
(1912 - 2001) - barrelhouse blues piano player - raised in Bogalusa.
External links
- City of Bogalusa
- Bogalusa City Schools
- Louisiana Technical College - Sullivan Campus
- Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce
- Fund for Bogalusa
- Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana: History, Links, Maps, and Photos
- Bogalusa Story by C. W. Goodyear
- Bogalusa Daily News
- Temple-Inland Inc.
- Some Photos of Hurricane Katrina Damage